Like Mandarin Release Day!

A huge congratulations goes out to Kirsten Hubbard today, as it's the release day of her debut novel,

Like Mandarin.

"It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin. When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their Badlands town. Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal." (from Goodreads)

I've been looking forward to reading this book, since..well, since I first read about it a while ago. And to be honest, I've tried to get my hands on an ARC for ages.

Here's some good news - you can have the chance to win your very own copy of Like Mandarin, along with some pretty awesome looking stuff including a t-shirt or a hand-crafted necklace. This giveaway was a surprise to Kristen, so let's surprise her some more and wish her all the best today and in the future and enter to win some really cool stuff. Thanks to the awesome people at YA Highway for doing this! So go, enter this contest and good luck!