May 31, 2014

Oblivion Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway


Welcome to my stop on the OBLIVION blog tour hosted by EgmontUSA! Today I have an interview with the author to share with you - and don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of the book!


Oblivion
Author: Sasha Dawn
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: EgmontUSA

Description:

Lisa McMann's Dead to You meets Kate Ellison's The Butterfly Clues in a psychological thriller full of romance, intrigue, and mystery.

One year ago, Callie was found in an abandoned apartment, scrawling words on the wall: "I KILLED HIM. His blood is on my hands. His heart is in my soul. I KILLED HIM." But she remembers nothing of that night or of the previous thirty-six hours. All she knows is that her father, the reverend at the Church of the Holy Promise, is missing, as is Hannah, a young girl from the parish. Their disappearances have to be connected and Callie knows that her father was not a righteous man.

Since that fateful night, she's been plagued by graphomania -- an unending and debilitating compulsion to write. The words that flow from Callie's mind and through her pen don't seem to make sense -- until now.

As the anniversary of Hannah's vanishing approaches, more words and memories bubble to the surface and a new guy in school might be the key to Callie putting together the puzzle. But digging up the secrets she's buried for so long might be her biggest mistake.
 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18404448-oblivion?ac=1

1. What gave you the idea for Oblivion?

Plots come to me in dreams for the most part.  This one debuted in a series of recurrent, semi-lucid dreams that haunted me for decades: a girl feels guilty, but she doesn’t know what she did. She knows she’s been wronged, but she can’t prove it because she doesn’t remember anything. Callie’s problems grew by the page, which I think happens naturally as we write. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I wrote the first sentence, for certain. By the end of the third chapter, I knew I wanted this piece to be wrought with discomfort and compulsion. Because writers are not born of safekeeping, I’ve struggled with remembering things that may or may not have happened, and that translates to Callie. I’m an avid writer. My fingers are often tapping keys before I open my eyes in the morning. While I’m not plagued with writing, I do consider it compulsive. The idea that someone could explore repressed memory through written word intrigued me, and when I decided that writing wouldn’t be Callie’s choice, but a necessary element of life (like breathing and eating), it all came together.

2. Are any of your characters ever based on yourself or people you know?

There is a little bit of me in every character I write—even the insane ones. I often pay tribute to people in my life in little ways: Callie wears a ring on a chain around her neck, and so does my eldest daughter. Lindsey has amazing fashion sense, and she’s comfortable in whatever she happens to wear; this is a nod to my youngest daughter. Occasionally, I’ve named nasty characters after ex-boyfriends. That’s fun! Writing is undeniably therapeutic. If writing about a challenge will help me overcome a few of my own, I’m going to do it. And naturally, bits and pieces of those I’ve met along the way show up in the most surprising places. Lindsey’s entourage, for example, is an amalgamation of my sorority “sisters” and some of the other nastiest girls I’ve met.  That said, every character is fictional. I have yet to write a character solely based on someone I know or used to know.

3. What inspired you to become an author?

I would write, even if no one wanted to validate my words. I’ve always seen writing as an avenue to self-expression. I’ve learned a lot about myself through writing, and I’ve always had a knack for creating tales, so I’ve always done it. I finished my first full-length novel at age twelve (after several unfinished attempts). I’m sure it was terrible. I used to write one book each year for my friend Mary; every year on her birthday, I’d give her an absolutely awful stack of pages that would pass for a manuscript, and she always acted excited to read it. That’s what good friends do, you know. I suppose I’ve known inspiration along with aspiration my entire life.

4. Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

While everyone can learn from rejection, it’s important to remember that every rejection is only an opinion. You wouldn’t take it personally if someone preferred the “Sunrise Surprise” paint sample to your chosen “Vanilla Pudding.” (I’d love to have that job…naming paint colors.) It’s hard not to take rejection personally, but never allow a rejection to stomp on your dreams. You’re the best writer on the planet. Sure, someone may misunderstand your work. Someone may not see value in what you do. It doesn’t matter. You know you rock. Keep at it.

5. What's up next for you?

Hopefully, another book with Egmont is on the horizon! I’ve written three YA thrillers since Oblivion. Here’s to hoping the folks at Egmont believe in one of them!

 Thanks for stopping by the blog and chatting today Sasha!
 
Sasha Dawn teaches college composition to America's youth at McHenry County College and the College of Lake County. She's drawn to suspense, the survival instinct in people, and has a crush on Thomas Jefferson. She lives in a suburb of Chicago. 





 

 Giveaway: (1) Signed copy of OBLIVION - Open to US only!





May 30, 2014

Cover Reveal: DEADLY SWEET LIES by Erica Cameron




Deadly Sweet Lies (The Dream War Saga #2)
Author: Erica Cameron
Expected Release Date: 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21427665-deadly-sweet-lies?ac=1
  
Description:

Nadette Lawson knows when you're lying
 
Every night for the past two years, the Balasura have visited her dreams, enticing her to enter their world. And every night she's seen through their lies. Now, they're tired of playing in the shadows and they begin to stalk her in the waking world. It's no longer just an invitation; if Nadette doesn't join them, they'll take her family. Forever. She needs help, and the haven she's seeking may be just out of reach.

Julian Teagan is a master of deception.

To survive, he has to convince the world his mother isn't useless, that everything's fine, otherwise he'll lose what little he has left in this life. He knows the lying won't be enough to keep him and his mother in the shadows, but it's all he knows. The only light of truth is Orane, a Balasura who sees past Julian's facade and challenges him to face the darkness.

Then Orane is killed, and Julian learns his mentor was far from innocent. The Balasura have hunted children like him for centuries, and their next target, Nadette is his one chance at finally being a part of something real. If Julian can just convince her to trust him...
Author Links:
Web: byericacameron.com
Series: thedreamwarsaga.com
Twitter: @byericacameron
Facebook: www.facebook.com/byericacameron
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/byericacameron
Tumblr: http://byericacameron.tumblr.com/ 

 


What do you think of the cover? Leave a comment!

 

Book Spotlight + Giveaway: Strange Country by Deborah Coates


Today I'm highlighting Strange Country - the third and final book in the Wide Open trilogy by Deborah Coates. The book went on sale Tuesday, so read on about for more info on the books and then enter to win the entire trilogy!!


Strange Country (Wide Open #3)
Author: Deborah Coates
Genre: Rural Fantasy/Mystery
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Tor Books

Description:

STRANGE COUNTRY by Deborah Coates is the final book in a haunting supernatural murder mystery trilogy set in the vast rural backroads and byways of the American Midwest, a setting and way of life that is rarely explored in contemporary and urban fantasy.

After facing Death himself and banishing a reaper bent on the destruction of Sheriff's deputy Boyd Davies, Hallie had hoped things would finally settle down; that she and Boyd would find more time to spend together, that ghosts would stay in cemeteries where they belong. But hopes are so easily dashed.

On a wintry night in mid-December, someone shoots and kills a woman with a high-powered rifle. Not long after, another of West Prairie City’s citizens is killed in exactly the same way, drawing the attention of federal investigators. But the connection between the victims is not easy to uncover....

Meanwhile, Hallie Michaels finds a note pinned to her front porch. “What do you fear most?” it asks, accompanied by a set of map coordinates. Over the next few days she receives an anonymous phone call, an unsigned letter left for her at the local ag supply, and finally a note stuck to her kitchen table with a carving knife, all asking the same question and with the same set of coordinates. The mysteries are piling up, and time is short...Will Hallie be able to get to the bottom of this, before the body count rises again?

Praise:

“Coates plots this novel as a conventional murder mystery, with the usual paranormal activity serving as colorful filigree to a well-wrought tale of Midwestern noir.”
Publishers Weekly

Twin Peaks meets Dean Koontz in this tale of a windswept northern prairie town beset by eerie events. Deborah Coates offers a pitch-perfect sense of place, an uncanny knack for dialogue, and a complex heroine who’s mad, sad, tenacious, and tough.”
Sharon Shinn, national bestselling author of Troubled Waters

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18490670-strange-country?ac=1

Check out the first two books:
 (click on the cover to go to Goodreads)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12074933-wide-open  
DEBORAH COATES is the author of Wide Open, Deep Down, and Strange Country. She lives in Ames, Iowa, and works for Iowa State University. Her short fiction has appeared in Asimov's and Strange Horizons, as well as Year's Best Fantasy 6, Best Paranormal Romance, and Best American Fantasy.

Author Links:
The fantastic people at Tor are offering (1) reader the entire WIDE OPEN trilogy! Open to US/CAN only!

 

Book Blast + Giveaway: The Other Me by Suzanne van Rooyen




The Other Me
Author: Suzanne van Rooyen
Genre: YA Contemporary/LGBT
Release Date: December 19, 2013
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
216 pages

Description:

Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she's an alien. She doesn't fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he's perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn't find out she's a freak.

As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body.

But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel's baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.
  


Praise for The Other Me:

“The Other Me is a story that will stay with me for a long time. This is what YA should be and Van Rooyen has that uncanny ability to wedge you inside the heads of her characters where you will feel all their pain, love, joy and sorrow. I cannot recommend this book enough if you’re looking for a story that will challenge your preconceptions.” – Nerine, You Gotta Read Reviews

This book is a great new contemporary read, so different from everything else that’s out there, and it is brilliant! Suzanne van Rooyen does a brilliant job of crafting a story that is not only entertaining and engaging, but interesting and unique too.”– Myra, Pieces of Whimsy

I loved Suzanne Van Rooyen’s writing style. It made reading her words so easy. Her characters came across as incredibly real. Add all of that into the uniqueness of the stories subject and The Other Me turned out to be a book that I absolutely loved. So much in fact that I would love to read more of these characters.” – Tracey, YA Book Addict

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20299991-the-other-me?ac=1

Suzanne is a tattooed story-teller and peanut-butter addict from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing you can find her teaching dance and music to middle-schoolers or playing in the snow with her shiba inu. She is rep’d by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.



Pick up this amazing #DiverseBook at these fine retailers: 



(1) Winner will get a Signed copy of THE OTHER ME, an eBook of OBSCURA BURNING + Swag! (Open to US Only)
 
(1) Winner will get any book of their choice from Amazon or Book Depository up to a $15.00 value. (Open Internationally)
 
Must be 13+ To Enter
 
 


 

May 29, 2014

Book Highlight + Giveaway: Imposter by Susanne Winnacker



Imposter (Variants #1)
Author: Susanne Winnacker
Genre: Young Adult, thriller

Description:
Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.
Praise:
"An unpredictable page turner with shades of terror reminiscent of a Stephen King novel."—VOYA

"Fresh and inventive. . . . the strongly-written mystery component takes center stage.“—BCCB



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I went over to the window and pried it open. The frame groaned but with a jerk the window slid up and cool air streamed in. The fresh smell of rain in the night was one of my absolute favorites.
A shadow shifted on the street. I poked my head out. Even in the rain, the hooded stranger waited on the other side, staring at my window. I grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand and the pepper spray from my purse, slipped into my ballet flats and rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Devon appeared in the hall, his eyes bleary. I didn’t stop to explain.
My feet carried me outside where the rain plastered my hair down and soaked through my clothes. The stranger turned the corner as I crossed our front yard.
I pumped my legs. I heard Devon’s steps behind me and his shouts of confusion, but I turned a corner and then another until it appeared that I’d lost him. I stormed into the forest at the edge of our neighborhood, where the stranger had disappeared just moments before.
From up ahead, the sound of twigs breaking kept me on the trail. Devon must have given up or lost sight of me because I didn’t hear him behind me.
Without streetlights, the forest’s darkness was absolute. Rain rattled the leaves, and twigs snapped under my shoes. Shape-shifting while running was difficult and straining, but with Madison’s short legs I’d never catch the guy. Who was he? The killer? And I was alone in a dark forest with him. Maybe not my best plan.
I let the rippling wash over me. Tearing, stretching, twisting, remodeling. My clothes strained and ripped. I stumbled a few times over my lengthening legs but then, with Alec’s body, I gained on the stranger. Wind howled in my ears and for a moment I lost my bearings as he disappeared from view.
Up ahead, something flashed in the blackness like a beacon. He’d turned around to check if I was still following. My breath rasped in my throat as I jumped over a fallen trunk. The forest was cloaked in mist, concealing the outline of the mysterious figure.
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Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, two dogs and two bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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Release Day Launch + Giveaway: On the Rocks by Alyssa Rose Ivy


I am stoked for today's Release of Alyssa Rose Ivy's ON THE ROCKS!! ON THE ROCKS is a contemporary romance and is a part of Alyssa Rose Ivy’s Mixology Series. 

It is priced at just $.99 right now. This will last for a limited time only to celebrate the release!! 

 On the Rocks - Alyssa Rose Ivy    

ON THE ROCKS Synopsis: 

Love is best served on the rocks. My roommates look really good naked. At least one of them does. I’m sure the other one does too, but I haven’t seen him without his pants on. Living with two guys wasn't something I’d ever considered, but the opportunity fell in my lap, and I’d have been crazy to turn it down. College went by in a great big blur leaving me with less of a direction than I had going in. Add in a family that wanted nothing to do with me, and my post-college plans were less than clear. What’s a girl to do when she has nowhere else to turn? She moves to the Outer Banks and learns to bartend. After all, it was my horrible bartending skills that led me to my roommate’s bed and into his heart.    


I heard the water in the sink running, and I assumed someone was brushing their teeth. I knocked while pushing open the door. “I just need my—” The rest of my words were lost as Macon turned toward me. There he was holding a toothbrush and wearing nothing. Absolutely nothing. “Oh my god. I am so sorry.” I backed out without finding my brush. “Can I help you?” His voice was amused. How was he amused? “Why are you naked?” “Because I just got out of the shower.” I kept looking down. “But you were brushing your teeth.” “I like to dry off before I get dressed. You should try it sometime.” “That’s what a towel is for.” I heard the ping of the towel bar. I glanced up, half hoping he’d be covered and half hoping he wouldn’t be. He had a towel tied around his waist. “I guess we’re even then.” “Even?” I could barely think straight. I was still picturing Macon naked. “Yeah, I walked in on you in a towel, now you’ve seen me baring it all. We’re good to go.” “I wasn’t naked.” He grinned. “So what you’re saying is now I’m the one with the extra points. Nice.” “You’re crazy.” “I am? You’re the one who opened the door without waiting for an answer, and what did you need anyway?” “My brush,” I answered sheepishly. He was right, I did pretty much barge right in. “Here you go,” he held out the brush. I took it, and my hand brushed against his in the process. Even tiny touches from him got me. “Thanks, and sorry.” “Not a problem, roomie.” “Okay.” “Is there anything else?” “Oh, no. Nothing.” I backed out the rest of the way and closed the door. Could I get more embarrassing?  
Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author PhotoAlyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand. 

Links: 
Twitter  
Author Goodreads  
Pinterest  
Website  
ON THE ROCKS Goodreads  
Facebook

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble




May 28, 2014

Hungry Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

 

Welcome to my stop on the HUNGRY blog tour! Today I have my review of the book to share and a giveaway for a finished copy of the book! Check out the tour schedule at the end of the post to follow along!


Hungry
Author: H.A. Swain
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopia
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends BYR

Description:

In the future, food is no longer necessary—until Thalia begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She’s hungry.

In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food—everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illnesses, and no more war. At least that's what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs, say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he—the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.

H. A. Swain delivers an adventure that is both epic and fast-paced. Get ready to be Hungry.
  

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18525734-hungry?ac=1
Hungry is an original and fascinating young adult dystopian novel that shows a future where hunger no longer exists in the world. Drugs have been invented that ward off hunger, which should also get rid of famine, war, and other food-related illnesses and diseases. Thalia, our heroine, is brought up to believe in the power and benefits of the drugs, also called "inocs," because her parents work for the company who invented them and because she's never known anything different. That all changes when Thalia meets a mysterious guy who lives in a world she never thought or knew existed - where hunger is everywhere and the people are rallying to bring food back. With her new outlook and knowledge, Thalia agrees to help find the only thing the movement believes will heal their world - real food. Because the people who don't get the inocs aren't the only ones who are experiencing hunger - Thalia is getting hungry and realizes that the drugs are no longer working. Will Thalia be able to find enough real food in time to stop the disaster that's coming? Can she convince her parents and the others that the drugs are failing and they need to find an alternate solution?

I thought this was a wholly original novel with a fast-paced story and fascinating concepts. The world the author creates is a dystopian future - yet not so distant and fantastical that it seems out of reach for our culture to evolve into, which I think helps it make such a great impact on the reader. I loved reading and learning all about the world that Thalia lives in and how it became that way. The drugs that cure hunger pose an interesting concept, although obviously it also comes with issues and problems of their own. It made me take a step back and think about what a world like that would be like to live in and how our own society could possibly develop into something like that. 
 
Thalia was an interesting main character for the novel. She's smart and determined to do the right thing. We see her character grow throughout the novel as she goes from the "privileged girl" who had everything she could want to a more rounded and mature character who sees the pros and cons of the drugs and what needs to be done to help fix things. I liked watching Thalia grow throughout the book and found it easy to identify with her early on. The writing was quick with a natural flow, which made it an easy read. I definitely recommend this novel to fans of YA dystopias as well as those who enjoy science fiction and fantasy.


* A huge thanks to the people at Macmillan for sending me a copy for review! *
Giveaway: (1) Finished copy of Hungry by H.A. Swain - Open to US only!



May 27, 2014

Book Blast + Giveaway: Vengeance Is Mine by Harry James Krebs




Vengeance is Mine (Benjamin Tucker #1)
Author: Harry James Krebs
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Release Date: January 30, 2014

Description:

Driven by a traumatic, violent event in his teenage years, Benjamin Tucker, bestselling true crime author, is obsessed with helping authorities solve savage crimes near his home turf of Holly Springs, North Carolina. When a series of decapitated female victims is found in neighboring communities, he is helplessly drawn in to the investigation to help bring the killer to justice. But in a bizarre twist of events, the psychopathic murderer becomes fascinated with Tucker and stalks him, presenting him with unimaginable, grotesque gifts. The hunt for the killer turns personal and Tucker isn’t sure if he’s become the killer’s idol or his next victim.

Vengeance is Mine, a gripping thriller with a healthy dose of droll humor, is a tale of sadistic revenge guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page. 


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20642847-vengeance-is-mine?ac=1
After receiving his BA in applied physics from Aurora University in Illinois, Harry spent thirty-seven years with United States Department of Energy Contractors as a senior mechanical engineer. He designed, built, maintained, and operated large experimental detectors for high-energy physics experiments at national laboratories such as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Superconducting Super Collider, and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University.

Krebs always wanted to write mystery novels, but his engineering career left him little time to write until now. His first novel, Fractured Persona, is based on a recurring dream where he would wake up in someone else’s body and life.

The author and his wife currently live in Raleigh, North Carolina with their Chihuahua, Lucille.

 Website
  
 You can purchase Vengeance is Mine at the following Retailers:
   
(1) Winner will receive Autographed Print Copies of Fractured Persona and Vengeance is Mine
+ $20.00 Amazon Gift Card.
Must be 13+ to Enter / International Giveaway
 
*Book Nerd Tours is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Mail Box*


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