Winners of the SSAW Giveaways!

Thank you all so much for participating and leaving your love and comments for Kristi! It's truly been awesome to see everyone come together to show The Story Siren how much we appreciate all she does. Thank you, thank you, thank you, bloggers, readers, and authors alike!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. We have the winners.

Winner of Firelight: jasminediana13
Winner of Shade: Ria
Winner of Tempestuous: KTReads
Winner of Vera Dietz Swag: Soultified
Winner of Personal Demons: Anaiz
Winner of Ballads of Suburbia: Juliana Steffans
Winner of Silver Phoenix: Aleetha
Winner of a signed A Blue So Dark bookmark: Jennifer at Book Noise
Winner of The Iron King and The Iron Daughter: Shannon at Books Devoured

Congratulations to all the winners! If you haven't received an email from us by the time you read this, please send us your mailing address so that we can pass it along to the respective author.

projectstorysiren at gmail dot com

If we email you and don't hear back from you within 48 hours of that email, we will choose a new winner.

Some Words From Kristi

After we revealed this secret project to Kristi on Monday we decided that we'd like to wrap this whole thing with some words from Kristi after the fact. So, take it away Kristi....

Can I just say that this appreciation week is INSANE.

I’m so stunned, even today when it’s been going on all week, I don’t know what to say. And thank you just seems very insufficient.

What can I say to you all.... to possibly describe how much this has meant to me.  I never in a million years expected this, and I still don’t think I deserve it. But, I appreciate YOU all for taking the time out of your busy schedules, donating goodies, and saying such heartfelt things. You better believe this is something that I will never forget and something that I will cherish.

I never thought I’d be in the position to ‘inspire’ people. Still hard to think I’m in that position now. If you all hadn’t stopped by and commented, I never would have known. I like to think (and hope) that I help people, and it was wonderful to see that reaffirmation. Maybe I actually am doing something semi-right?

Thank you all for your support.

And on a non-serious note:

This was the coolest thing ever. I mean it. I’ve cried & laughed... and just loved it. I’ve been like a kid waking up on christmas morning.... so excited... to see the next post, and what they have to say. And then it’s usually followed by blurry eyes... and aww moments. And it was just the thing I needed. Thanks again.

Firelight Giveaway + A Few Words to All the Authors!

We just want to say thank you to all the authors that participated in this with us! We couldn't have made this week as special without you. The fact that the decided to donate their time and books/swag to two anonymous people is incredible and a testament to how important Kristi is! I mean, we could have just been two anonymous schmucks trying to get some awesome books for ourselves. So, authors, thank you so much! We really really appreciate this and are so thankful that we are in such a supportive community of bloggers and authors.

The last giveaway for this week is one autographed copy of FIRELIGHT as well as some FIRELIGHT swag from Sophie Jordan!!

Sophie had a little something to say to Kristi:

"I wasn't writing YA for two seconds before I started hearing about The Story Siren. Her excellent reputation in the genre is well warranted!" 

Want to win? Leave a comment with some way to contact you! And maybe a special thank you to the authors who made this happen! :)

What Bloggers Have to Say About Kristi (5)

Kristi is like the Queen of Queens. She's the leader, the sweetheart and the one thing we all have in common. People who think she's mean or bitchy definitely don't know her at all! She was indeed the inspirer of my blog and the one I have always turned to when I need expert advise. She's lived the drama and, like all of us long time bloggers, grew past that. Kristi: you are awesomeness and no matter how many hate mail you get we ALL admire you and look up to you somehow. I really do admire what you've created and your passion for this hobby we've taken. You'll always inspire me. -- Sab at YA Bliss

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Kristi yet (aside from email hello!), but in my first year of blogging she has been a great support!  I appreciate her positive attitude and her clear respect for authors, bloggers, publishers, and others in the book industry.  I value how she embraces community from hosting In My Mailbox, to offering opportunities for authors and publishers to have a voice on her blog, to sharing and answering questions from other bloggers.  I wish her all the best as she celebrates her three year blogoversary and enters her 4th year! -- Em from Love YA Lit

In the two years that i have been blogging I have spent a majority of that time reading The Story Siren or participating in TSS events.  Krisit is proof that one doesn't need to be aggressive in their reviewing approach or marketing to have a popular blog.  She's used her high profile to spotlight those that need it more - debut authors, new bloggers and clarifying the murky waters of YA blogging.  Knowledge is power and Krisit has chosen to share hers with the collective body of YA bloggers - she is admirable and passionate. -- Adele from Persnickety Snark

If The Story Siren blog did not exist, neither would mine. Kristi has inspired so many bloggers—myself included—to enter the vast unknowns of book blogging. The Story Siren was the first book blog I ever saw, and to this day it is still my favorite. Kristi only posts quality reviews, fantastic giveaways, insightful interviews, and so much more. The vast majority of bloggers look up to Kristi and The Story Siren, as it is many of ours’ number one inspiration in the book blogging world. Thank you, Kristi, you are truly an inspiration and a role model. My life would be so different without you and your blog. --Alex from Electrifying Review

I love going to her blog just to check things out. I think that her IMM Meme is awesome. It gives me and everyone else in the book community, a chance every week to add (to my already long list) more books that I've never heard of, or have seen but just didn't know much about -- Ashley from Bookaholic Anonymous

I stumbled on one of Kristi's IMM videos earlier this year and I loved her personality (it was one where she was doing her happy dance). It inspired me to start my own book blog (I've blogged before but I never thought there were people who blogged about books)! So thank you Kristi, for opening this whole new world to me! -- Marie from Marie Loves Books

Jeri Smith-Ready's Words To Kristi + Giveaway

"I've been an admirer of Kristi's blog since long before SHADE was published.  It's incredibly fun and professional--and always honest. So I was probably more nervous and excited about being reviewed in The Story Siren than Publishers Weekly!  It was great to meet Kristi at BEA and at the PAYA Festival this year.  Giant blog-iversary congrats to an amazing supporter of YA fiction--you go, girl!"  --Jeri Smith-Ready, Author of Shade

*Giveaway*

Jeri Smith-Ready has been generous enough to donate one (1) copy of Shade in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much Jeri!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, either congratulating Kristi on 3 years of blogging, telling her what she means to you or sharing a fun Kristi moment! :)

What Bloggers Have to Say to Kristi (4)

Kristi runs one of the best book blogs - if not THE best book blog - I've ever seen. Not only if she intelligent and clever and creative, but when I met her at BookExpo America, I found out that she's super sweet and nice as well.  -- Nicole at Words for Teens

Can I really sum up all that Kristi's done for me in a few sentences? She's the blogging Yoda for me. When I'm unsure how to handle a situation or want to know how to approach a publisher, I go to her blog. Everything I know about ARCs I learned from her and I'm ridiculously thankful for that information. She always seems to be on top of everything and I found a ton of other blogs and books from her blog. The Story Siren was one of the first blogs I found and I think that if I hadn't found it, I wouldn't have found all the others and been inspired to enter the blogging world. And I don't know what I'd be doing if I wasn't blogging and surrounded by all the amazing people in this community.  -- Julie at Bloggers Heart Books

Kristi's blog was one of the first that I started reading when I began blogging this year. I was immediately impressed by the amount of work she puts into her site, and I've since grown to have even more respect for Kristi. Despite her enormous following and limited free time, I have always found her to be humble, helpful, and generous. I think I'd spend way more time fumbling around with my blog than I already do if it weren't for her Dear Story Siren posts filled with great tips for beginning bloggers. I haven't taken part in most of Kristi's fun features so far, but I am looking forward to participating in IMM and the 2011 DAC next year. -- Melanie from Reclusive Bibliophile

I followed Kristi way before I even had a blog. I first found her on youtube and feel in love with her In My Mailbox meme and Xander! I remember back tracking and watching all of her youtube videos and then promptly following her blog religiously, and to this day still do! Kristi is definitely one of the bloggers who inspired me to start my own book blog and she’s helped me discover so many good books that I may never have found otherwise. I love doing my In My Mailbox posts every weekend and seeing what others have got. Kristi’s such an asset to the book blogging community and takes the time to help new bloggers with her Dear Story Siren posts. I’ve always loved her passion for books and I can’t imagine the blogosphere without her! I think it’s great that were giving something back to her. Happy 3rd blogoversary Kristi! – Jess Hearts Books

I've been a book blogger for five years now, and in that time very few blogs have filled me with such awe as The Story Siren. I am constantly blown away by the number and quality of reviews, interviews, advice posts and contests that are always on her blog. It's obvious how passionate Kristi is about The Story Siren blog, and it is inspiring to see someone that dedicated to the book blogging community. On a side note, I totally blame her for the growing number of YA titles on my TBR list. ;) --Courtney at Once Upon a Bookshelf

I first found The Story Siren by googling book reviews. Her review would always be the first one to pop up in my search results. Obviously, that meant something. I would see "In My Mailbox" littered about , too. COOLEST. MEME. EVER, btw. Anyway, I started frequenting Kristi's blog. There were awesome giveaways, awesome reviews, and her IMM vlogs were hilarious. Not to mention that we're on the same wavelength about being old, married, book nerdy women. (Represent!) What I adore the most about Kristi is that, even though I just "met" her in the last few months, I feel like she's an old friend or something. I mean that in the least creepy way. Her personality shines in her blog, her vlogs, and her ridiculous passion for YA. (Ridiculous in a good way, of course.) A bajillion others have said it, but I mean it, too: Kristi, YOU were the inspiration for me to start my own blog. I can only hope to be a fraction of the blogger you are. Never stop doing what you're doing. You are such a great inspiration to other bloggers. -- Jen from Makeshift Bookmark

What Bloggers Have to Say About Kristi (3)

Hey Kristi! Happy Blogoversary! Yours was the first blog I came across - at that time I didn't even know book blogs existed! You not only inspired me to start blogging but also to start reading YA fiction again. You have been one of the most helpful bloggers around . I look forward to "Dear Story Siren" every week because I always learn something new .Next year I will be participating in the 2011 Debut Author Challenge for the first time. I am really excited about it and think its a fantastic idea! Thank you for all that you have done and all that you have contributed to the blogging community! May you have infinite more blogoversaries...."    ---Misha from My Love Affair With Books


Kristi has been one of the friendliest faces in the YA blogging community. She comments on blogs, works really hard to promote so many bloggers, new and old alike, and she is always willing to offer advice or help. I love how she has brought the YA blogging community together to support debut authors. Not only have I read and connected with new authors but I get a chance to be part of the broader blogging community. Thanks Kristi! Also Dear Story Siren is one of my favorite features to read and learn from. -- Sarah from YA Librarian Tales

"The best thing about Kristi is that, despite her three years of blogging experience and over 3000 blog followers, 4000 readers by Feedburner, and 700,000+ blog visitors, she remains one of the easiest bloggers to talk to about ANYTHING! Every time I've met Kristi has been a blast. She is just so down to earth, friendly, and passionate, and sincerely excited to talk to everyone. When she talks to you, she makes you feel as if SHE is the lucky one to be having the conversation. The YA blogging world is lucky to have Kristi!"
-- Steph Su from Steph Su Reads

Kristi is all over YA like white on rice, her knowledge on the genre and what it has to offer is astronomical. She deserves all the praise she gets because you can tell she works damn hard for it. As willing to offer help and advice to a newbie now as she was when I first met her. The blogging world just wouldn't be the same without her. She is THE ya blogger. Happy third blogoversary lovely!- Carla from The Crooked Shelf


Kristi, you were one of the first bloggers to contact me when I started Reading Vacation.  Your advice to me is still the very best advice I have gotten - be yourself and have fun.  Now, when a new blogger asks me for advice, that is the same advice I pass on to them.  It is also the thing that I like best about you, Kristi.  You are not afraid to be a little different on your blog and you have fun doing it.  Walking the walk!  Thank you for setting such a great example and for making this young blogger feel like a part of the book blogging family.  Oh, and thank you for sending some surprise books to me when I was first starting out - and stating very clearly to my parents that you are not "some crazy lady on the internet."  Well, you might be a little CrAzY sometimes, but it's only in a good way!  I really appreciate what you do for all of us and for doing it with a smile.  Love you Kristi!  --Melina from Reading Vacation

Guest Post: Cat From Beyond Books

I don't really recall how I stumbled upon Kristi's blog, but I know that aesthetically it drew me in and I would find a TON of book recommendations through her. Her About Me page had that cartoon image of her and her dog, and well, I fell for the dog. When Xander had dental surgery a few years ago that is when I started reading Kristi's blog on a regular basis. As a dog person myself I was very concerned as was my husband. I made a little Get Well Soon blog post from my dogs to hers and we started chatting more regularly.

Kristi wasn't someone I would email on a regular basis but I would comment on posts and I truly enjoyed the few chats we had and her sense of humour and of course, we traded dog stories.

When I was planning my trip to BEA I suddenly found myself in need of a roommate and I had mentioned I probably couldn't go without one. I was lucky enough to not only finally meet Kristi in person at BEA 2010 but to also share a hotel room with her (and Erica from The Book Cellar). I couldn't have asked for more like-minded roommates! Kristi and I are eerily similar from our not liking crowded events to going to bed at a reasonable Granny-type time while all the Young People (*ahem*, Erica!) party it up until 11:00 p.m. *gasp!*

I am thankful for the internet because it has allowed me to meet someone I could easily consider one of the best friends I have had in my life - who lives very far away! We aren't on the phone or email to each other every day, but I consider Kristi a great friend and I always appreciate her humour, opinions and book rec's.

Of course if I were to be completely 100% honest with everyone - I really only like Kristi for her dog.

                              --Cat from Beyond Books

Lesley Livingston's Words To Kristi + Giveaway

Kristi was one of the first YA book bloggers I had the pleasure of getting to know, back before WONDROUS STRANGE, my first novel, was even published. Her unbridled enthusiasm, respect for the work and the authors, and her adorable personality were immediately irresistible. She has since proven to be a driving force in spreading the love and getting the word out about all of the fantastic YA stuff out there and the blogosphere would be a poorer place without her. I not only appreciate her as a writer, I follower her as a reader! She makes me glad to have a character in my books who is a Siren! :-) Happy Blogday, Kristi!  Cheers---Lesley Livingston, Author of Wondrous Strange

*Giveaway*

Lesley Livingston has been generous enough to donate one (1) signed, finished hardcover copy of TEMPESTUOUS (Wondrous Strange # 3) in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much Lesley!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, telling us your favorite feature/meme/event hosted on her blog (POC lit challenge, IMM, Books to Pine For, Dear Story Siren etc. etc.)

AS King's Words To Kristi + Giveaway

What to say about Kristi? The woman rocks. I feel book bloggers have been a large part of any success I've had in reaching my audience and Kristi reaches out so many people! She writes great reviews, supports authors in tons of different ways and is really really really nice. I know. People think nice is a lame word, but I don't. In fact, I think nice is probably the coolest thing a person can be. Like so many bloggers, Kristi works her butt off and she doesn't have to do it. But she does it for us. Readers, writers, publishers and the blogging community. So Kristi--you ROCK. I know I've told you this before, but I'll just keep saying it. You rock. You rock. You rock. Thank you so much for everything you've done to support me and my work. (You rock.) -- AS King, Author of Please Ignore Vera Dietz

*Giveaway*

A.S. King has been generous enough to donate a "Please Ignore Vera Dietz mini pizza box of interesting Vera Dietz-related swag". (Non-chocolate lovers, do not apply.) in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much A.S. King!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, either congratulating Kristi on 3 years of blogging, telling her what she means to you or sharing a fun Kristi moment or talking about a book you read because of her!  :)

Guest Post: James From Book Chic

I absolutely love Kristi. I mean, who doesn't? We started our blogs the same year (though I was first by 6 months- BEAT YA, KRISTI!) and so we've known each other a while. She's a wonderful person to talk to and we've helped each other out with questions we have or if we needed advice on something. But even though we'd chatted for so long, we didn't get to meet until this year at Book Expo America. We're both a bit shy, and she seems to be a kid at heart because she kept hitting me to show me how much she loved me. I went to bed with bruises at night (kidding). A favorite memory of mine (well, one of two) was Kristi seeing me shirtless in my hotel bed at night (I tried to cover myself with the comforter but alas, I could not); it was very funny and scandalous. The other favorite memory took place at PAYA when we spent the whole afternoon together drooling over hottie male authors, getting our hair pet by Josh Berk, and just having a good time together. It was fun to get to know her better. I can't wait to see what we get up to at BEA this coming year.

Kristi is a fantastic blogging inspiration; she's done so much for the YA blogging community (way more than I ever will) over the three years she's had her blog. She answers questions (I do this too though, but mine's not as successful), posts thoughtful discussion topics, has started up some wonderful features and annual challenges, helped out newbie bloggers by talking about them on her blog, has a cute, if extremely huge, dog (and I'm a cat person, so me calling a dog cute is BIG), among many other things. I don't even know how she does it all! 

I can't say enough good things about Kristi and her friendship means so much to me. I hope that both our friendship and her amazing blog continue on for years to come. Happy third blogoversary, Kristi!!
                                                          -- James from Book Chic (http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/)

What Bloggers Have to Say About Kristi (2)

I don't know Kristi as well as some other bloggers. She's not my best blogging friend or anything like that. But, she was a big part of the inspiration behind my blog (I started it back when there were maybe 10 of us) and she's continued to be an amazing person to me. Whenever I'm working on one of my endless projects, she's always there and willing to help out. I guarantee that PAYA would never have been as successful as it was without Kristi. She even drove the 8+ hours it took to come out to the PAYA Festival in August to support it. Without Kristi here, I truly believe the blogging world would be different. I think we all look up to her and really, she deserves it! --Harmony

I met Kristi at PAYA this past summer and she was so very nice and extremely funny. For me, it was like meeting a blogger celebrity. :) She has contributed so much to the blogging community and I hope she is around for many more years to come. Congrats on your three year Blogoversary, Kristi! I am wishing you all the best.   ----Christina from Confessions of a Book Addict

Not going to lie. I was totally drawn in by Kristi's beautiful layout---true story. Then I started actually reading her blog and loved how passionate she was about YA literature which I had just recently started reading after a burnout of adult novels with too many marriages and divorces along with the harsh reality of being a college graduate. YA was my safe haven and Kristi helped to add some quality books to my radar. It wasn't until I met her at PAYA that I knew Kristi completely rocked. I had read her blog but only here and there. When I met her at PAYA I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought she might be loud, aware of how much of a "celebrity" she was and someone who probably wouldn't want to talk to a newbie blogger like me. Let me just tell you--I was WRONG. She is pretty shy until you get talking to her but she is so friendly and fun. She had to announce the winners of the raffle and she was so nervous to do it and she was just so humble! She's such a down to earth girl! We had the best time talking about books and how our husbands/boyfriends put up with our crazy bookish ways! I pretty much wanted to be bff's with her. Since then Kristi and I have talked on Twitter and on each other's blogs. She makes me laugh and she is truly one of my favorite people to talk to. She even is willing to help me out in the midst of a blogging "crisis" on a Friday night! She rocks. Congrats Kristi!  ---Jamie at The Broke and the Bookish/The Perpetual Page-Turner


I wanted to thank Kristi for being such an inspiration. I've gone through a few rough times on my blog, and she's always helped motivate me to carry on and continue to blog. Thank you, Kristi!!!

--Anne from Potter, Percy and I

Lisa Desrochers' Words To Kristi + Giveaway

"Even before Personal Demons sold back in December, I’d heard of Kristi’s blog. She’s kind of the queen of YA book blogging, so when I saw she’d added Personal Demons to her 2010 Debut Authors Challenge list, I felt like I’d made the big time! When she asked if I’d be interested in doing a September interview on her blog, I squeed (Seriously!) then totally sweated out her review. I even squeed again when she listed the sequel to Personal Demons, Original Sin, in her Books to Pine For post this week. Whether she knows it or not, Kristi is a rock star and I want to thank her for all her support"--Lisa Desrochers, Author of Personal Demons

*Giveaway*

Lisa Desrochers has been generous enough to donate one (1) copy of Personal Demons in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much Lisa!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, telling us a book you read because of Kristi!

What Bloggers Have To Say To Kristi (1)

In addition to authors, there are many book bloggers who have some things to say to Kristi:

Kristi over at The Story Siren is one of the nicest bloggers I’ve come across while blogging.  She’s also a fountain of knowledge about anything and everything in the YA world which I’ve come to appreciate a whole bunch.  The way that she reaches out to help newbie bloggers and even newbie authors with her Debut Author Challenge is nothing short of amazing and I admire the amount of work she puts into her blog because while my blog is all about me, Kristi’s blog is all about the reader and that’s totally worthy of my admiration.  When I first started The Book Scoop, Kristi took the time to give me a warm welcome and it totally made my month.  She’s like a blogging celebrity and I was touched that she took the time to stop by for a quick visit. Her blog posts are always thoughtful and helpful and really, there just isn’t another blogger quite like her.  Kristi rocks and I’m very appreciative of everything she does for the YA community and what she does for blogging in general.  Happy Story Siren Appreciative Week!             -- Rowena at The Book Scoop

Kristi means a lot to me and my blogging! She is the one who gave me the ambition to start my own blog! Also on those long days when everything about your blog and blogging goes wrong, she is always there to save your template or ask that dire question that needed to be answered. I have e-mailed Kristi so many times since I started blogging! She is there for moral support and always makes me feel better! I participated in the 2010 DAC and it was my favorite challenge of the year and I look forward to DAC 2011. I also can not get enough of IMM! I love watching Kristi's vlogs and they inspired me to start vlogging as well. I can not say enough about what a great friend Kristi is and how much her presence in the book blogging world means to me!

                                                                                                           -- Erika at Moonlight Book Reviews

Kristi's blog was one of the first I started reading on a regular basis.  She's been super supportive of my blog ever since I started it, doing things like allowing me to participate in Backstage Blogging, but also has tons of awesome stuff on her blog like IMM and the Debut Author Challenge.  Plus, i always love talking to her on Twitter about things like dogs, or just life in general.  Thanks for being so awesome, Kristi!

--Liz at Consumed By Books

I started book blogging only a few months after Kristi, and her book blog was one of the first I discovered when I started looking for other blogs in our community.  The blogging landscape was WAY different (and way smaller) back then, and I know we all took cues from each other to build up the blogs we have today.  Kristi puts so much work into her blog and has definitely earned all her success and popularity.  I still get excited to see a new post from her in my Google reader.  Happy blogoversary Kristi!                       

--Lenore at Presenting Lenore

I stumbled upon Kristi's blog quite by accident. I remember the first thing that really drew me in, was the title of her blog: The Story Siren.  As a huge lover of books and mythical sea creatures, you could say that she had me hooked before I even browsed through the actual contents of her blog. The concept of book blogs were still a relatively new concept to me at the time and as someone who had no idea how to approach or go about starting my own book blog, stumbling upon Kristi's blog was pretty much a heaven sent guide to me (and I'm sure many other bloggers). I spent the next couple of months playing blog voyeur, bookmarked her blog and started becoming an avid fan and devoted reader of her blog. Here was someone with a real, conversational, chatty voice whose love for reading simply just radiated (and still does) with each and every single word she types. Extremely generous, she not only spotlights fantastic new authors and books, but her willingness to share the wealth of knowledge that she's picked up from the book world and from working with various publishers has always been something that I've really appreciated and it's something that I'll never take for granted. Kristi, you''re a shining star in our book blogging community. Thank you for a real, shining presence, for the fantastic giveaways that you host, but mostly for making the time to always get back to us with any questions we may have - and all this while you still have a full-time job.  Happy blogaversary - and thank you for what you mean to the book blogging community. Here's to many more years of fabulous book blogging posts, interesting discussion points and wonderful, opinion-based (as opposed to academic based) book reviews!                                                                        - Tammy at The Book Fairy Haven


Stephanie Kuehnert's Words To Kristi + Giveaway

"I've gotta admit, I squee inside like a fangirl when I bump into Kristi at events and conferences. She supported my books from the beginning, before they were even released into the wild. Writing can be a scary and lonely profession sometimes, but Ms. Story Siren has made me feel like a rock star. I really appreciate her support and friendship. Thanks for all you do for the book world, Kristi!" - Stephanie Kuehnert, author of I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE and BALLADS OF SUBURBIA

*Giveaway*

Stephanie Kuehnert has been generous enough to donate one (1) copy of Ballads of Suburbia in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much Stephanie!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, telling us a book you read because of Kristi!
- THIS GIVEAWAY IS U.S. ONLY!

What Authors Have to Say To Kristi!

"When I worked in teen services at the library, I visited Kristi’s blog nearly every day to check out her latest reviews, author interviews and to get news on new and upcoming books. I would always send our teen patrons to her site when they asked me about book recommendations. Now that I’m a full time author, I love reading Kristi’s blog for all the same reasons but also because she often provides added insight into publishing industry. And of course, as always, I love reading her fantastic reviews!" --Kelly Creagh, Author of Nevermore

"Kristi was one of the very first bloggers to have Oh. My. Gods. on her reading radar. She posted one of my first reviews and one of my first guest blogs. She has been with me every step of my publishing journey so far and I can't wait to see where the path takes us next. Happy anniversary, Kristi!" -- Terry Lynn Childs, Author of Oh. My Gods.

"Kristi is an incredible, positive presence in the blogging community. Her reviews and informative posts educate bloggers and book-lovers alike. Her work promoting debut authors is invaluable. Happy Blog-O-Versary, Kristi, and thanks for all you do!" --Andrea Cremer, Author of Nightshade

"Kristi has been with me from the beginning as a great reader, a great champion, a great blogger and an all around great person. I'm so proud to call her one of my blogger-friends...I'm so honored to be one of
her author-friends. Happy Anniversary to The Story Siren, and many thanks to Kristi for her wonderful work!" --Sarah MacLean, Author of The Season

"Kristi has been utterly fantastic about helping to promote my debut novel, A BLUE SO DARK.  Her glowing review sparked immediate interest, encouraging other bloggers to buy and post their own reviews for BLUE.  Beyond that, though, Kristi is so much fun to interact with--I have absolutely adored getting a chance to meet and "talk" to her online!  She's simply one of the best bloggers out there...one of the reasons the YA book blogging community is so vibrant.  I speak for many other YA authors when I say we're so, so lucky to have her." --Holly Schindler, author of A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT
Holly Schindler has generously donated a signed A BLUE SO DARK bookmark! Leave a comment with a way to get in touch with you!

Cindy Pon's Words To Kristi + Giveaway!

I had the pleasure of meeting Kristi in person at ALA chicago in 2009. She says she's shyer in person than online, but I found her to be sweet and genuine with a ready smile. Throughout the conference, I'd see tweets from kristi with "Cindy Pon sightings" which really cracked me up. She was definitely the best stalker ever. But even before we met in person, she was always very gracious and professional in our email exchanges and this is something an author values so much from book bloggers. She definitely made a favorable impression on me, and beyond that, I truly appreciate her special features like LGBT theme week and People of Color Authors Week to spotlight diverse books that may otherwise be overlooked by young adult readers. It was a pleasure to guest post for the latter. I just know that Kristi will come up with more ideas and features in the future for book lovers to enjoy. All this on top of her book reviews! How does she do it? Simply amazing. Thanks so much Kristi for running The Story Siren so beautifully! --Cindy Pon, Author of Silver Phoenix

*Giveaway*

Cindy Pon has been generous enough to donate one (1) copy of Silver Phoenix in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much Cindy! *EDIT* She also is adding a Panda Card and a really beautiful Silver Phoenix Postcard to the giveaway!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, either congratulating Kristi on 3 years of blogging, telling her what she means to you or sharing a fun Kristi moment! :)

Guest Post by Chelsea Swiggett

I’ve known Kristi for years. We met because of our shared love for reading, which inspired both of us to start blogs. Back then, it was like testing the waters. There weren’t a lot of other book blogs to compare to, and the community wasn’t as built and strong as it is now. So we talked about it. We both started our blogs around the same time, so we both dipped our feet in and started this crazy journey together. We emailed, Myspaced (it was really cool back then, shut up) and became quick friends.

Eventually, we met at a book signing for Cassandra Clare and Lisa McMann. It was awesome to be able to meet her in person, and she was just as cool as she is online. She’s hilarious, down-to-earth, and incredibly nice.

And over the years, we’ve gone to a ton of book events together. We’ve taken long road trips to ALA and lugged books around to get signed. We ate at restaurants (even when our waiters burned things) while talking about fictional characters. We’ve laughed and laughed. We’ve made fun of each other (especially when I thought our hotel room was haunted and Kristi wouldn’t stop teasing me.) We’ve become friends.

I remember sitting in a car, driving, while she told me about her turkey. She used to have one, you know, on a farm. And it looked up in the sky while it was raining and drowned itself. I’m a huge animal lover, so I probably should have been horrified, but I kind of laughed. “Turkeys are dumb!” she shouted. And that’s when I knew she was awesome. I mean, I knew before, but that pretty much solidified it.
She’s really an incredibly nice, humble person. When we were walking around ALA and authors recognized her, she’d look at me and let out this little eeping sound that I think might have ruptured my eardrums. She’s just incredibly ecstatic and passionate about books, which you’d obviously realize just by glancing at her blog.

And she puts so much dedication and work into it. Seriously, a lot of work. She finds pictures, links, and summaries. She writes reviews, hosts interviews, keeps up with her email, sends out books, hosts contests, communicates with authors and publishers, and still manages to go to work and live. I have no idea how she does it. I’ve thought, numerous times, that maybe she was a robot. But she’s too nice to be a robot. (All robots are evil, obviously.) The amount of work she puts into The Story Siren is jaw-dropping. And I admire her so much for it. I can’t even begin to say how much.

It really wasn’t hard writing this post. I could easily write more, but I don’t want to hog the entire page. Suffice to say, Kristi deserves a huge ovation for what she’s doing. I, for one, definitely appreciate it.
--
Chelsea
thepageflipper.blogspot.com

Julie Kagawa's Words To Kristi + Giveaway

Kristi was one of the first bloggers I met when I was just a newbie author stumbling around the blogosphere, wide-eyed and looking for friends.  I was actually in awe that "The Story Siren," the diva of book blogging, was really talking to me.  When she gave me my first review for The Iron King, I was jumping up and down with excitement.  She's just as sweet in person as she is online (though she still won't eat eel sushi), and I owe her a great deal.  Kristi does so much for debut authors and new bloggers alike, and I'm proud to say that The Story Siren is someone I call a friend.

Happy Blogoversary Kristi! 

--Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron Fey series

*Giveaway*

Julie Kagawa has been generous enough to donate one (1) copy of The Iron King and one (1) copy of The Iron Daughter in honor of Kristi's 3 year blogoversary and the Story Siren Appreciation Week. Thank you so much Julie!

To enter:

- Leave a comment, with a way we can get in contact with you, either congratulating Kristi on 3 years of blogging, telling her what she means to you or sharing a fun Kristi moment! :)

Who is The Story Siren?

You're kidding, right? You must be kidding. Anyway, if you're one of the people who doesn't know her, we're going to take this opportunity to introduce you. No, we aren't creepers, we are just master researchers (Plus, this information is all available on her site. We're just paraphrasing and adding our own witty commentary.)

The Story Siren, or Kristi, is basically the cream of the crop when it comes to YA book blogging. Back in December 2007, Kristi decided she needed a place where she could log the books she reads as well as her thoughts on said books. Thus, The Story Siren was born. "Why 'The Story Siren,'" you ask? Kristi has stated that she wants to sing the praises of books and lure readers into devouring them as well. (Clever little lady, that Story Siren!)

Fast forward three years and you have the Holy Grail of blogs. Have you heard of the Debut Author Challenge? It's an awesome project for bloggers and even greater promotion for debut authors! Are you participating? We know we are. What about "In My Mailbox?" Yeah, that feature where you get to show off all the shiny, pretty books you bought/received for review/got from the library that week? WE LOVE IMM! Who could forget her "Dear Story Siren" posts that hold a myriad of priceless information for new and seasoned bloggers alike. Yep, we've got those bookmarked! Not to mention "In My Mailbox" won Best Carnival Meme of 2009 for Book Blogger Appreciation Week. That's pretty serious.

Kristi is full of so much awesomeness that she won Best Young Adult Book Blog, Best Design, and Most Extravagant Giveaways for BBAW 2009, as well as the Golden Book Blog Award for the People's Choice YA Book Blog Awards 2009. She got runner-up in the categories of Best Interviewer and Best Reviewer. She's also been quoted in the following books:

- Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston (Paperback version)
- Shadowland by Alyson Noel (Hardcover version)
- Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag (Paperback version)
- Betrayals by Lili St Crow (Paperback version)
- Ghost Town by Rachel Caine (Hardcover version)
- Fallen by Lauren Kate (paperback version)

I don't know about you guys, but we think being quoted in books is kind of a big deal. :P Authors even bend the book signing rules for her!

So that's Kristi, in our own words (and some of hers! Like we said, we got this information straight from her "About Me.")  With almost 3300 followers, The Story Siren is arguably one of the most influential YA book bloggers out there and one of the most genuinely nice people we know!

Welcome to Project Story Siren and we hope you have as much fun as we're having :)

What is Story Siren Appreciation Week??

Welcome to The Story Siren Appreciation Week---a week to appreciate Kristi's contribution to the YA blogging world and wish her a happy 3 year blogoversary!  Basically we are two anonymous bloggers who adore Kristi as a blogger and a person and are so grateful for what she does for the YA blogging community and as a friend. A few months ago my fellow anonymous conspirator and I were talking about how awesome Kristi really is and that she doesn't realize how awesome she is nor does she get the recognition that she deserves. I mean, yes, everybody KNOWS who Kristi is and she gets recognized often but we think she needs to know how awesome she is. Sometimes even a star blogger like Kristi really needs to know how much people love her and respect her--not for her giveaways, not for her celebrity-like status-- but for the awesome person she is,  how passionate she is about YA literature and how she really has been the pioneer of the YA blogging community. Those are all things worthy of recognition and thanks!

This project is our way to show Kristi just how wonderful she is and how we all really do appreciate her. We've been really excited about working on it over the past month or so and hope that you all take the time to give some love to Kristi! So, whether you have been influenced to start a blog because of Kristi or have just been a friend of hers through the blogging world, leave some love for her!

Throughout this week we will be having guest posts and words from authors and bloggers to show appreciation to Kristi as well as giveaways for some of Kristi's favorite books!  If you have something that you would like to say to Kristi please use the chat box.

Authors who will be generously hosting a giveaway throughout the week:

Lesley Livingston:  one (1) signed, finished hardcover copy of Tempestuous.

Stephanie Kuehnert:  one (1) signed copy of Ballads of Suburbia (US ONLY!)

Sophie Jordan:  one (1) signed, finished copy of Firelight & Firelight swag.

Holly Schindler:  one (1) signed author bookmark.

Julie Kagawa:  one (1) copy of The Iron King and one (1) copy of The Iron Daughter

Lisa Desrochers:  one (1) signed copy of Personal Demons, signed Original Sin bookmarks, and Team Luc and Team Gabe tattoos.

A.S. King:  Please Ignore Vera Dietz mini pizza box of interesting Vera Dietz-related swag (non-chocolate lovers, do not apply!)

Jeri Smith-Ready: one (1) signed, finished copy of Shade.

Cindy Pon:  one (1) signed, finished copy of Silver Phoenix.