Showing posts with label win. Show all posts
Showing posts with label win. Show all posts
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Interview with Author Jen Castleberry about A Wild And Unremarkable Thing with Giveaway!
A Wild and Unremarkable Thing
by
Jen Castleberry
Parliament House Press
YA Fantasy
180 pages
Coming. . .
January 23rd, 2018!!!
Parliament House Press
YA Fantasy
180 pages
Coming. . .
January 23rd, 2018!!!
Fifteen
years have passed since a Fire Scale scorched Cayda’s village.
Fifteen years of beatings, of bare kitchen cupboards and sloppy
swordplay. Fifteen years of biting her lip for her father’s cane
while her younger sisters did the same for the grimy patrons of the
village brothels. Fifteen years of staring steadfastly after beauty
in an increasingly ugly world.
Now,
with hair shorn and breast bound, Cayda marches into the Summer Alps
as Cody, a hopeful Champion seeking a dragon-slayer’s reward, with
the full weight of her family’s survival on her shoulders.
But
the road between poverty and prosperity is rife with beasts,
betrayals, and baser temptations. Sensible Cayda soon discovers that
she is not the only Champion with her eye on the prize, or the only
one wearing a disguise.
With
monsters, gods, and royalty hot on her heels, Cayda must ask herself
if victory is worth sacrificing her identity for – or her life.
A
Wild and Unremarkable Thing pits girl against dragon in a stunning
blend of Greek mythology and medieval lore. Readers will not quickly
forget the diverse cast or the thrilling, sexy ride!
Jen
Castleberry resides in Virginia Beach with her husband and pets. Her
background is in Communications and Animal Welfare. All of her pets
are named after superheroes!
INTERVIEW
Congrats on the up-coming release! I love the cover, and the blurb has
totally drawn me in. So, now I'm horribly curious and would love a sneak peek
at all the goodness to come. Can you tell us about one. . .perhaps, your favorite
character. . .from A Wild and Unremarkable Thing?
By far, my favorite character to write was Fares. He’s this bright, sparkly guy with
a devil-may-care wit that really lights up a scene. Sometimes I wished he would just
pop off the page and exist, you know? As the comforts of a privileged life are stripped
away from him, we get to see what a good heart he really has, and that was especially
satisfying to write. So many of my closest friends are very Fares-like – snarky and
flirty and wildly inappropriate. The life of the party, but if you’re in trouble, they’ll
come through every time. So I felt like I was writing my favorite kind of friend when
I was writing Fares.
How do you describe your writing style?
I’ve been told I have a very poetic voice. That’s a word I hear over and over again
in reviews – poetic, and I love that.
What, in your opinion, makes a good story?
That’s a loaded question! There are so many factors, and everyone has different
tastes when it comes to art. I think a good story has to have a mission – some honest
endeavor tucked beneath the layers, something profound that the author wants to
express. Some belief about humanity that sews all her pretty words together. In
AWAUT, I wanted to talk about people living in the grey, people who don’t feel
especially defined by any particular label, who are good and bad, masculine and
feminine, shaped and innate. That was one of the major themes that existed in the
undertow of the entire story. Many people are empowered by labels and that can
be a wonderful thing, but there are lots of people, myself included, who have never
felt like we fit neatly and naturally into a specific category. This is a truth I
understand intimately, something I knew I could express and explain honestly through
the medium of storytelling. I think a good story requires honesty and a sense of
purpose on the part of the author.
Do you have a piece of advice for new authors?
Finish what you start. Stick with your first drafts, see them through to completion.
The tendency to write a few chapters and get stuck, to lose faith in a story, to be
distracted by an exciting new idea – it’s a cycle unending for so many talented writers.
Completing full drafts is a skill that gets easier with time. Even if you’re a third in and
100% sure what you’re writing is terrible, just finish it. One, first drafts are always
terrible. Two, you might surprise yourself and write something worthwhile. And
three, if all else fails, writing a terrible draft is never a waste of time, because it’s
practice. Get in the habit of finishing things. You can always make a bad story better,
but you can’t edit a blank page.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
All my pets are named after X-Men! I’ve got an Akita named Gambit, a Maine Coon
named Psylocke, and a Basset Hound named Anna Marie Rogue.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’ve got a few projects in the works, all of them Fantasy – that’s sort of where I like
to live. But I’m a big advocate for taking risks as an artist.
A Wild and Unremarkable Thing was unlike anything I’d written before.
I was playing with technical aspects that were outside of my wheelhouse –
tight, novella construction and a third-person, present POV. It was fresh and fun
and different for me as an author. I firmly believe that – as an artist– you should
strive to entertain yourself first; if you’re not engaged, your readers aren’t likely
to be engaged either. For me, that means playing around, trying new things,
running with scissors. Regardless of what I put out next, you can expect a creative
shift. Something readers haven’t seen from me before.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Review: Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking with Giveaway
BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART
Valkyrie #1
by Amanda Hocking
Wednesday Books
YA Urban Fantasy
319 pages
When the fate of the world is at stake
Loyalties will be tested
Game of Thrones meets Blade Runner in this commanding new YA fantasy inspired by Norse
Mythology from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.
As one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them
to the underworld. But when she unearths a secret that could unravel the balance of all
she knows, Malin along with her best friend and her ex-girlfriend must decide where their
loyalties lie. And if helping the blue-eyed boy Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the
world and her heart.
Loyalties will be tested
Game of Thrones meets Blade Runner in this commanding new YA fantasy inspired by Norse
Mythology from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.
As one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them
to the underworld. But when she unearths a secret that could unravel the balance of all
she knows, Malin along with her best friend and her ex-girlfriend must decide where their
loyalties lie. And if helping the blue-eyed boy Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the
world and her heart.
Buy Links:
MY TIDBITS
This one reminded me of the drama series, Lost Girl, nodding with an exciting variety of fantasy characters, action, mystery and a love triangle which pulls in two directions.
Malin is a Valkyrie and, as such, slays immortals when it's time for them to leave their earthly existence and return to the underworld. She's good at her job, although her social and family life doesn't run as smooth. When someone breaks into her apartment, she's drawn into a crime which involves more than a few murders. The entire world as she knows it is at stake.
This isn't my first novel from this author, and although I've thoroughly enjoyed her other novels, this one didn't draw me in quite as much. The world building is excellent. Malin and those around her come to life with attitudes and personalities true to their situations. They are easy to grasp, feel natural even when a bit harsh, and lure in to guarantee one or two favorites. It's no trouble to follow the mixture of the mortal and immortal world, and feel at home in the bars, clubs or even institution.
The writing flows and is easy to sink into. It's entertaining, fun and holds everything a dive into the world fantasy should. Despite all of this goodness, I couldn't get completely lost in the pages.
It's entertaining but a bit of depth and intricacy in the plot is missing. Obvious hints stole the surprise from several later twists and turns, and other moments didn't grab as much as they might have. Many events mount with logic, tension and exciting scenes, but others come across as familiar and don't hold quite the tension they could. Even the romance lacks a hook into the heart, which makes a good love triangle pull from all sides.
Still, it's a fun read with lots of wonderful elements and interesting characters. Fans of valkyrie, magic, and mystery will enjoy the read and get lost in the world.
SNEAK PEEK
ONE
The air reeked of fermented fish and rotten fruit,
thanks to the overflowing dumpster from the restaurant behind us. The polluted
alley felt narrow and claustrophobic, sandwiched between skyscrapers.
In the city, it was
never quiet or peaceful, even at three in the morning. There were more than
thirty million humans and supernatural beings coexisting, living on top of each
other. It was the only life I’d ever really known, but the noise of the
congestion grated on me tonight.
My eyes were locked on
the flickering neon lights of the gambling parlor across the street. The u in
Shibuya had gone out, so the sign flashed SHIB YA at me.
The sword sheathed at
my side felt heavy, and my body felt restless and electric. I couldn’t keep
from fidgeting and cracked my knuckles.
“He’ll be here soon,”
my mother, Marlow, assured me. She leaned back against the brick wall beside
me, casually eating large jackfruit seeds from a brown paper sack. Always bring
a snack on a stakeout was one of her first lessons, but I was far too nervous
and excited to eat.
The thick cowl of her
frayed black sweater had been pulled up like a hood, covering her cropped blond
hair from the icy mist that fell on us. Her tall leather boots only went to her
calf, thanks to her long legs. Her style tended to be monochromatic—black on
black on black—aside from the shock of dark red lipstick.
My mother was only a
few years shy of her fiftieth birthday, with almost thirty years of experience
working as a Valkyrie, and she was still as strong and vital as ever. On her
hip, her sword Mördare glowed a dull red through its sheath.
The sword of the
Valkyries was one that appeared as if it had been broken in half—its blade only
a foot long before stopping at a sharp angle. Mördare’s blade was several thousand
years old, forged in fires to look like red glass that would glow when the time
was nigh.
My sword was called
Sigrún, a present on my eighteenth birthday from Marlow. It was a bit shorter
than Mördare, with a thicker blade, so it appeared stubby and fat. The handle
was black utilitarian, a replacement that my mom had had custom-made from an
army supply store, to match her own.
The ancient blade
appeared almost black, but as it grew closer to its target, it would glow a
vibrant purple. For the past hour that we’d been waiting on our stakeout,
Sigrún had been glowing dully on my hip.
The mist grew heavier,
soaking my long black hair. I kept the left side of my head shaved, parting my
hair over to the right, and my scalp should’ve been freezing from the cold, but
I didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel anything.
It had begun—the
instinct of the Valkyrie, pushing aside my humanity to become a weapon. When
the Valkyrie in me took over, I was little more than a scythe for the Grim
Reaper of the gods.
“He’s coming,” Marlow
said behind me, but I already knew.
The world fell into
hyperfocus, and I could see every droplet of rain as it splashed toward the
ground. Every sound echoed through me, from the bird flapping its wings a block
away, to the club door as it groaned open.
Eleazar Bélanger
stumbled out, his heavy feet clomping in the puddles. He was chubby and short,
barely over four feet tall, and he would’ve appeared to be an average middle-aged
man if it wasn’t for the two knobby horns that stuck out on either side of his
forehead. Graying tufts of black hair stuck out from under a bright red cap,
and as he walked ahead, he had a noticeable limp favoring his right leg.
He was a Trasgu, a
troublemaking goblin, and his appearance belied the strength and cunning that
lurked within him. He was over three hundred years old, and today would be the
day he died.
I waited in the shadows
of the alley for him to cross the street. A coughing fit caused him to double
over, and he braced himself against the brick wall.
I approached him
quietly—this all went easier when they didn’t have time to prepare. He took off
his hat to use it to wipe the snot from his nose, and when he looked up at me,
his green eyes flashed with understanding.
“It’s you,” Eleazar
said in a weak, craggy voice. We’d never met, and I doubt he’d ever seen me
before, but he recognized me, the way they all did when their time was up.
“Eleazar Bélanger, you
have been chosen to die,” I said, reciting my script, the words automatic and
cold on my lips. “It is my duty to return you to the darkness from whence you
came.”
“No, wait!” He held up
his pudgy hands at me. “I have money. I can pay you. We can work this out.”
“This is not my
decision to make,” I said as I pulled the sword from my sheath.
His eyes widened as he
realized I couldn’t be bargained with. For a moment I thought he might just
accept his fate, but they rarely did. He bowed his head and ran at me like a
goat. He was stronger than he looked and caused me to stumble back a step, but
he didn’t have anywhere to go.
My mother stood
blocking the mouth of the alley, in case I needed her. Eleazar tried to run
toward the other end, but his leg slowed him, and I easily overtook him. Using
the handle of my sword, I cracked him on the back of the skull, and he fell to
the ground on his knees.
Sigrún glowed brightly,
with light shining out from it and causing the air to glow purple around us.
Eleazar mumbled a prayer to the Vanir gods. I held the sword with both hands,
and I struck it across his neck, decapitating him.
And then, finally, the
electricity that had filled my body, making my muscles quiver and my bones
ache, left me, and I breathed in deeply. The corpse of an immortal goblin lay
in a puddle at my feet, and I felt nothing but relief.
“It was a good return,”
my mother said, and put her hand on my shoulder. “You did well, Malin.”
And here she is. . .
Amanda Hocking is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.
Social Links:
Author Website: http://www.worldofamandahocking.com/
Twitter: @Amanda_Hocking
Facebook: @AmandaHockingFans
GIVEAWAY!!!
The author is giving away one copy of
BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART .
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below as well as your email address. A winner will be randomly chosen from all comments submitted by midnight (EST) on Tuesday, January 9th and announced here in the comments during the day on January 10th. The winner will also be informed per email. The winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is for US mailing addresses only, and entrants 18+ years of age. The value is around $10.99 (USD), and the prize cannot be exchanged or transferred. Only one entry per person. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. The giveaway is sponsored by Amanda Hocking.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Sneak Peek: The Rising Series Box Set by Holly Kelly with Giveaway
The Rising Series
Box Set
by Holly Kelly
Clean Teen Publishing
December 12th 2017
YA Fairy Tales, Fantasy
A magical underwater realm awaits! Own books 1-3 of the Best-Selling Rising series by acclaimed author Holly Kelly.
This value-priced boxed set includes the first three novels in the best-selling Rising series: Rising (with an exclusive bonus scene), Descending, and Avenging. Beautifully packaged with brilliant new cover art, this set is perfect for any fan of Greek Mythology and Mermaid Romance stories. Order the Rising series today and submerge yourself in an underwater world full of passion, romance, intrigue and adventure.
Rising: Contains a newly released scene! In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea—humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean—is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. There’s just one thing standing in his way: the life of a beautiful young woman…
Descending: When Xanthus cashes in a long-standing favor, Kyros is faced with doing two things he thought he’d never do—protect a mermaid and live on land.
Avenging: Two thousand years ago, King Triton witnessed the slaughter and total annihilation of his merchildren. Devastated by the loss, he vowed to never again father a child. Powerful, handsome, and eternally youthful, Triton was no stranger to seduction—yet his resolve was unwavering…until he met Nicole.
SNEAK PEEK
He had to kill her.
His plan lay clearly before him. Blanketed in the shadows, he’d enter her apartment window. Moving silently, he’d strike fast. Before she could cry out for help, he’d have her throat slit wide open. With her blood flowing swiftly, she’d be dead in mere seconds. The fact that she bathed at this time added to the ease of the execution. Clean up would be simple. Before the night ended, it would be as if she’d never existed. The Dagonian threat of exposure would be wiped clean from the human world.
Xanthus stood, his feet rooted in place under her window. Her sweet scent surrounded him as he listened to her pitiful sobs. Then, in that moment, he did the most shameful thing he’d ever done in his life.
He hesitated.
No, he didn’t merely hesitate. He halted. Fingering his blade in his holster, he willed his feet to move, but they seemed unwilling to obey. Then his mind latched onto a thought. It was no crime to wait for a more opportune time or a more secluded place to strike. He didn’t need to act rashly. True, finding her here in the human world shocked him, but he needed to be clear-headed and sure when he killed her.
He made his way back to his vehicle and climbed behind the wheel. He leaned his head back against the seat, closed his eyes, and attempted to clear his head.
He’d be back and she would die. She deserved to die. She may have the voice of an angel, but that was a lie. She was a traitor, a threat to their people. No other explanation made sense.
Xanthus looked toward the little female’s apartment building across the street. Could she have found a more dangerous place to live? This Dagonian female probably felt at home with these bottom-feeders.
Probably? Aw Hades. He cursed himself and the doubt in his mind. He doubly cursed that he couldn’t seem to stop himself from caring about her welfare. He’d be killing her himself, after all. The traitor had to die, regardless of his feelings and no matter how appealing she was. Of course, if she died by a human’s hands then he wouldn’t…
No.
He shook his head at his own idiotic thoughts. If a human killed her, then her body would be taken to the morgue, for the humans to see. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to be the one to kill her and carefully dispose of her body. And he would, soon.
Just not tonight.
And here she is. . .
Holly Kelly is a mom who writes books in her spare time: translation--she hides in the bathroom with her laptop and locks the door while the kids destroy the house and smear peanut butter on the walls. She was born in Utah but moved around a bit, living in Kansas, Texas, and Hawaii where she studied marine biology. She's now back in Utah--"happy valley". She's married to a wonderful husband, James, and they are currently raising 6 rambunctious children. Her interests are reading, writing (or course), martial arts, visual arts, creating Halloween props, and spending time with family.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Happy Book Bday, July Lightning by Shannon A. Thompson with Giveaway
JULY LIGHTNING
by Shannon A. Thompson
(Bad Bloods #4)
Clean Teen Publishing
Publication May 1st 2017
YA Fantasy
From best-selling author Shannon A. Thompson comes an exciting new duology in the Bad Bloods universe. Sixteen-year-old Caleb has been called many things: a patient, a musician, even a prostitute…now he has a new name—son. After his identity is uncovered, Caleb bands together with the family he once rejected in order to save the city of Vendona. But it won’t be easy. Enemies wait around every corner—and so do harsh realities. With Violet and Kuthun by his side though, nothing seems impossible. As Vendona sits on the verge of an economic collapse and a massive hurricane threatens the city, Violet and Caleb must show its citizens how to overcome decades of hostility and division to save themselves. Standing or not, a sea will rage, a wall may fall, and all will depend on immortal pain and sacrifice.
And here she is. . .
Shannon A. Thompson is a young adult author, avid reader, and a habitual chatterbox. As a novelist, poet, and blogger, Thompson spends her free time writing and sharing ideas with her black cat, Bogart, named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. Her other two cats bring her coffee. Between writing and befriending cats, Thompson graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing, and her work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies. Represented by Clean Teen Publishing, Thompson is the best-selling author of The Timely Death Trilogy and the Bad Bloods duology. When she is not writing, she is climbing rooftops, baking cookies, or watching murder shows in the middle of the night, often done with her cats by her side. Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.ShannonAThompson.com.
GIVEAWAY!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Grimmtastic Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Book #1
The Grimmtastic Girls:
Cinderella Stays Late
by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
Scholastic Inc.
March 25, 2014
Ages 8 to 12
192 Pages
Book #2:
Red Riding Hood Gets Lost
by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
Scholastic Inc.
March 25, 2014
Ages 8 to 12
192 Pages
And here they are. . .
Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams!!!
Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated more than 130 children's books, including Little Red Writing (illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet) and Zero the Hero. She lives in NC and is online at www.joanholub.com
Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
Suzanne Williams is the author of nearly 50 books for children, including the award-winning picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg). She lives near Seattle, WA and is online at www.suzanne-williams.com
Author Blog | Goodreads
Co-authors Joan and Suzanne have written the Goddess Girls, Heroes in Training, and Grimmtastic Girls series. Though they live in different states and hardly ever get to see each other, they spend lots of time together in Grimmlandia.
Facebook (Grimmtastic Girls) | Facebook (Goddess Girls Books)
Online Author Visits
$50 Book Blast Giveaway
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: April 23, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors, Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, January 20, 2014
Counting to D by Kate Scott with Giveaway!
COUNTING TO D
by Kate Scott
Elliot Books
YA Contemporary
228 pages
Expected Publication: February 11, 2014
The kids at Sam's school never knew if they should make fun of her for being too smart or too dumb. That's what it means to be dyslexic: smart, and illiterate. Sam is sick of it. So when her mom gets a job in a faraway city, Sam decides not to tell anyone about her little illiteracy problem. Without her paradox of a reputation, she falls in with a new group of highly competitive friends who call themselves the Brain Trust. When she meets Nate, her charming valedictorian lab partner, she declares her new reality perfect. But in order to keep it that way, she has to keep her learning disability a secret. The books are stacked against her and so are the lies. Sam's got to get the grades, get the guy, and get it straight--without being able to read.
My Tidbits
I'll admit, when I see that a book is about a person with a disability, disease or handicap, I usually think 'Uh, oh...this will be preachy', but COUNTING TO D surprised me. Although Sam must face a new school and new friends while dealing with dyslexia, it was very entertaining and felt just like a 'normal' teenage, high school romance novel.
The dialogue and scenes were very realistic, pulling me into the story right away. I really felt for Sam and had no problem rooting for her the whole way--as well as wanting to punch some of those jerky kids she ran into in the nose. The dialogue was done well and there was enough tension to keep me reading all the way to the end. As soon as I was done, I handed this to my 14 yr. old daughter, who devoured it too.
Complaints? The only one I might have is that toward the end, the dyslexia problem began to feel a little heavy, but this by no means hurt the story! The length was perfect, not too short and not too long. I also enjoyed the fact that the type was a little bigger than usual.
Summed up, I can only recommend this to teenage girls who enjoy high school drama with a bit of romance. And give it a big. . .
TWO THUMBS UP!!!
As of February 11th, 2014, available:
And here she is. . .
Kate Scott!!!
Kate Scott lives in the suburbs outside Portland, Oregon with her husband Warren. Kate was diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child but somehow managed to fall in love with stories anyway. Counting to D is her first novel. When Kate isn’t writing, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, camping, and spending time with her friends and family. Kate also spends a lot of time doing math and sciency things and is a licensed professional engineer.
You can find her:
Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/
And there's a GIVEAWAY!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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