BZRK Series Giveaway!

Today I have another awesome giveaway for you thanks to the wonderful people at EgmontUSA! The giveaway will be for the entire BZRK series by Michael Grant - the first two books will be paperbacks and the third will be a hardcover. Be sure to check the rules in the Rafflecopter before entering. Here's more info on the books:

BZRK (BZRK #1)

Author: Michael Grant

Genre: YA Dystopia

Release Date: April 23, 2013 (paperback)

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Description:

Set in the near future, BZRK is the story of a war for control of the human mind.  Charles and Benjamin Armstrong, conjoined twins and owners of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation, have a goal:  to turn the world into their vision of utopia.  No wars, no conflict, no hunger.  And no free will.  Opposing them is a guerrilla group of teens, code name BZRK, who are fighting to protect the right to be messed up, to be human.  This is no ordinary war, though.  Weapons are deployed on the nano-level. The battleground is the human brain.  And there are no stalemates here:  It’s victory . . . or madness.

BZRK unfolds with hurricane force around core themes of conspiracy and mystery, insanity and changing realities, engagement and empowerment, and the larger impact of personal choice. Which side would you choose?  How far would you go to win? 

2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

★ “With simmering pots of sexual tension, near-nonstop action, and the threat of howling madness or brain-melting doom around every corpuscular corner, Grant’s new series is off to a breathless, bombastic start.”—Booklist, starred review

BZRK: Reloaded (BZRK #2)

Author: Michael Grant

Release Date: September 9, 2014 (paperback)

Description:

The ground-breaking BZRK series from New York Times best-selling author Michael Grant (the Gone series) continues with BZRK Reloaded. Filled with sci-fi tech and breathtaking macro/micro scenes, BZRK Reloaded is sure to thrill fans of Orson Scott Card, and the Transformers films.

The war for your sanity continues.

In BZRK Reloaded the story gets broader in scope as the war spreads into the outside world, but it also gets closer to the characters we love.

Noah and Sadie begin to realize they are trapped in the war and don't know how to get out.

The biots that have infested the president begin to really take hold...and lead to some astonishing consequences.

And we meet a new character, a 13-year-old who's brilliant with video games and enters the war himself. He calls himself Billy the Kid.

VOYA Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror 2013

★ “The graphic descriptions of what the real and artificial creatures . . . Add in some discussable ideas on the ethics of human experimentation and a smart, simple explanation of the potential in nanotechnology . . . . Round out the experience with realistically unpredictable characters and blockbuster action sequences to complete this thoroughly enjoyable, incredibly disturbing story.”—VOYA, perfect 10 review

BZRK: Apocalypse (BZRK #3)

Author: Michael  Grant

Release Date: October 14, 2014 (hardcover)

Description:

The Matrix meets Inner Space in this third book in the BZRK trilogy from New York Times best-selling author Michael Grant.
 
The staggering conclusion to the BZRK trilogy, from the author of GONE. The members of BZRK are preparing for their final stand, in the world's capitals and in the nano. Expect the unexpected in this novel packed with the author's trademark jaw-dropping action, violence, and pace.

★ “A great choice for readers with a strong stomach, an interest in the future of biomedical technology and the essential ethical debate, or anyone willing to embark on an unnerving, frighteningly plausible thrill ride all around the globe.”—VOYA, perfect 10 review

Giveaway: (1) lucky winner will receive the entire BZRK Trilogy. Open to US/CAN only!

 

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Amity Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for AMITY! Today I'm sharing my review of the book - and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post! To see the full tour schedule, click HERE or see the list below.

Amity

Author: Micol Ostow

Genre: YA Paranormal/Horror

Release Date: August 26, 2014

Publisher: EgmontUSA 

Description:

For fans of Stephen King and American Horror Story, a gruesome thriller suggested by the events of the Amityville Horror.

Connor's family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic break.

But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?

Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she's done before. As she'll do again.

Alternating between parallel narratives, Amity is a tense and terrifying tale suggested by true-crime events that will satisfy even the most demanding horror fan.

Amity is a disturbing young adult horror novel that is a retelling of The Amityville Horror. The story follows two main characters from two different time periods: Connor, who lived in Amity ten years ago; and Gwen, who has just moved in with her family. The reader experiences the horrific and terrifying experiences both characters and their families encounter while living at Amity. Both families believed that Amity was merely another house when they moved in - except for Connor and Gwen, who share striking similarities in their ability to sense that something's different - wrong - at Amity. But will their families believe them - or will they simply brush off their warnings? And the biggest question of all - just what does Amity want from them?

I'm a huge fan of horror novels and super creepy fiction, so when I heard about this book - I knew I had to read it. Having read the book and watched the movies on The Amityville Horror, I knew that if this book was even loosely based on it; then it was going to be freaky. The story has so much potential and I couldn't wait to see how the author would tell the story. I have to admit that I was rather disappointed in the end. Not because of the plot line or the story itself - that was awesome. It was the way the book was written and how the two main characters spoke that kind of messed it up for me. The story is broken down into several smaller pieces. There's Connor, who lived in the house with his family ten years ago; and then we have Gwen, who just moved in with her family. The narrative is broken down yet again by the days that the families live at Amity. For example, there would be Day 1 - which would be broken down into Connor's part of the story and then Gwen's part. It continued that way throughout the book, which may have been a little confusing at first - but I learned to adjust quickly. It was mainly the way that the two main characters - mostly Connor - spoke that threw me off. The entire book is told from Connor and Gwen's first hand point of view - so they're conversationally speaking to the reader - almost from inside their mind or from a diary. Gwen was a great character and I loved reading her parts of the story. Connor's part - not so much. I can't really pinpoint what it was about his storytelling or dialogue that bothered me - but it did to the point that I just couldn't immerse myself into the story at all, which basically killed the scary vibe completely for me. Again - this is my personal opinion, and I'm sure many other readers will have no issues with the writing style. For me, however, it meant the difference between an epic horror novel and one that turned out to be mediocre. 

As I said before, the plot itself was phenomenal. It filled all the requirements for a great horror novel - you have the small occurrences that can't quite be explained away, which grow into situations that you wish you could explain but can't, and then it all breaks loose. I loved the build up in both character's stories - you could basically feel the eyes watching you only to turn around and nobody would be there. At times, in Gwen's story, I felt like I was experiencing the strange happenings at Amity right beside her - and it freaked me out. Honestly, almost everyone has had some sort of weird experience or feeling that they couldn't explain - so it was really easy to identify with the characters and what they were going through. 

Overall, this was a good book that could have been SO much more (for me, at least). It has everything needed to create a creepy novel that will have the reader looking over their shoulder. The plot was fantastic, the characters were pretty well written with flaws and quirks, and there was plenty of imagery and vivid descriptions throughout the novel. My glitch with the "voice" of Connor dampened the entire effect for me, which truly bums me out. If you're a fan of creepy paranormal stories or horror fiction, definitely give this one a shot. You probably won't have the same reaction as I did to the writing and it'll blow your mind. It was a great book even with the problems I had and I'll definitely be keeping my eye on what the author comes out with next.

Micol Ostow has written dozens of books for children, tweens, and teens, but Amity is her first foray into horror. I turns out, writing a ghost story is almost more terrifying than reading one. (In a good way.) Her novel family was called a “Favorite Book of 2011” by Liz Burns at School Library Journal, and her illustrated novel, So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), was a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens. In her spare time, Ostow blogs with the National Book Award-winning literacy initiative readergirlz.com. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, her (utterly fearless) daughter, and a finicky French bulldog named Bridget Jones. Visit her online at www.micolostow.com or follow her on Twitter @micolz.

Giveaway: (1) SIGNED Hardcover copy of Amity! Open to US/CAN only!!

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Tour Schedule:

Friday, August 15, 2014:

The Mod Podge Bookshelf

Guest post and giveaway

Novel Thoughts

Review and Giveaway

Saturday, August 16, 2014:

Good Books and Good Wine

Guest post and giveaway

Sunday, August 17, 2014:

Book Chic Club 

Q&A and giveaway

Book Briefs

Review and Giveaway

Monday, August 18, 2014:

Actin’ Up with Books

Guest post and giveaway

Tuesday, August 19, 2014:

A Dream Within a Dream

Review and Giveaway

Wednesday, August 20, 2014:

Live to Read

Q&A and giveaway

Thursday, August 21, 2014:

The Compulsive Reader

Guest post and giveaway

Books with Bite

Giveaway only

Friday, August 22, 2014:

Curling Up with a Good Book

Review and Giveaway

Saturday, August 23, 2014:

Bittersweet Enchantment

Guest post and giveaway

Jump Into Books

Review and Giveaway

Sunday, August 24, 2014:

The Children’s Book Review

Guest post and giveaway

Monday, August 25, 2014:

Tales of a Ravenous Reader

Review and Giveaway

Adventures in YA Publishing

Q&A

Tuesday, August 26, 2014:

A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy

Q&A

Wednesday, August 27, 2014:

readergirlz

Guest Post

Little Willow

Q&A and giveaway

Thursday, August 28, 2014:

IceyBooks

Q&A and giveaway

Not Yet Read

Review and Giveaway

A Bookish Escape

Review and Giveaway

Future Dates:

Date TBD

Cynsations

Guest post

October

McNally Jackson Kids

Guest Post

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Dear Teen Me

   

* A big thanks to the great people at EgmontUSA for sending me a copy of the book for review! *

 

Egmont Middle Grade Book Giveaway!

Hey everyone! Today I'm giving away two fun middle grade books courtesy of EgmontUSA! I've decided to separate the two giveaways, so feel free to enter both or just one - your choice! Read on to learn more about the books and enter the giveways! *Please note that both giveaways are open to US/CAN only!*

Guinea Dog 3 (Guinea Dog #3)

Author: Patrick Jennings

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: August 5, 2014

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Description:

An award-winning, hilariously funny middle-grade series about guinea pigs who act like other pets will move its author, Patrick Jennings, into the ranks of much-loved writers, such as Louis Sachar and Andrew Clements.

When Rufus, Murphy, Lurena, and their pets go camping, they meet Pedro, a shy boy who seems afraid of just about everything--especially the water. One thing leads to another and the kids go into a nearby town to buy him a pet to cheer him up--a guinea pig, naturally. Yet what they bring home may look like a guinea pig, but it can swim--like an otter!

Guinea Dog has appeared not only on many state lists, but on county and school district lists as well. Here are just some of its appearances: Hawaii NeNe Award Nominee, Washington State Sasquatch Award Nominee, Massachusetts Children's Book Award Honor, Florida Sunshine State Master List, Kansas Winner of the William Allen White Award, Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee, New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award Master List, and Texas's Cy-Fair Horned Toad Tales List.

"Short, manageable chapters; a breezy, conversational style; and indentifiable characters...make this a good choice."--Booklist

"Early-chapter book readers will enjoy..."--School Library Journal

"The writing is strong, the characters are a lot of fun, and the story just plain enjoyable ...There's a little something everyone can enjoy in this last Jennings number."--Betsy Bird, Fuse8 

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My Zombie Hamster

Author: Havelock McCreely

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Description:

A laugh-out-loud funny middle-grade debut with a scary twist, "My Zombie Hamster" will appeal to readers who like their animal stories mixed with chills. Fans of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps Most Wanted series will grab this one right up.
Matt Hunter and his buddies are looking forward to Christmas--actually, they're looking forward to receiving the latest sword-and-fantasy video game. But Matt's parents have other thoughts--they give him a fluffy little mammal, a hamster called Snuffles, for the holiday. And his grandmother makes it worse by giving him a hamster cage and wheel. But the hamster isn't all that cute--at least not after part of its cheek and belly fall right off--without bothering it a bit! And why is it staring at Matt with black beady eyes and a lean and hungry look?
Say hello to Anti-Snuffles, the zombie hamster! Or better yet, run!
This series combines middle-school readers' passions: humor, animals, and scary stories, into one unbeatable package.

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Spotlight + Giveaway: Oblivion by Sasha Dawn

Hey everyone! Today I'm doing a book spotlight on OBLIVION by Sasha Dawn! The book has been doing phenomenally with sales and is a huge hit according to the publisher - so they've decided to keep the love going the rest of the summer! I'm highlighting the book below so you can check it out (if you haven't already) and then enter to win a hardcover copy!

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. 

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) Hardcover copy of OBLIVION - Open to US only!

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Burn Out Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the BURN OUT tour being presented by EgmontUSA! Today I have a guest post by the author to share with you and don't forget to enter to win a SIGNED copy of the book at the bottom of the post! When you're done at my stop, make sure to head over to the next stops on the tour at Book Chic Club and Curling Up With a Good Book!

Burn Out (Burn Out #1)

Author: Kristi Helvig

Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopia

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Description:

"A scorching series opener not to be missed." - Kirkus

A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's Across the Universe and Lenore Appelhans's Level 2, Burn Out will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure.

Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.   

The Inspiration for BURN OUT 

Though I’ve often been asked the inspiration for BURN OUT, it’s usually been one of many interview questions and so I’ve given the ‘short version’ response. Today, I’ll give the longer version and you’ll get to see how multiple random events in a one week period culminated in the idea for BURN OUT.


First, my hubby and I love all things space and often watch documentaries on the Science channel, NatGeo, etc. One night, we watched a documentary that addressed what would happen when our sun burns out and I found it fascinating (and a little scary). The same night I heard a haunting song on Pandora and then had a vivid dream which involved the characters in BURN OUT, along with some powerful weapons I’d never seen before.


It doesn’t end there. A few days later, I was talking to my hubby on my way home from work on a scorching hot day. The thermometer in my car rose from 99 degrees to 106 on the fifteen-minute drive, and I remember feeling a flicker of fear when it just kept ticking upward. I had the thought “What if it just kept going?” I knew I had to sit down and write about the sun burning out, and everything sort of fell together—I cranked out the first draft really quickly. (Revising was much longer!) Of course, documentaries can only take one so far regarding research, so I contacted a well-respected astrophysics department at a large university for help. They were instrumental in key aspects of the book, including providing a plausible (though luckily not probable) way for our sun to burn out early. I haven’t looked at a glass of water the same way again after writing this book!


Thanks so much for having me on the blog today! :) 

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing the inspiration behind BURN OUT!

Kristi Helvig is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist turned sci-fi/fantasy author. She muses about Star Trek, space monkeys, and other assorted topics on her blog. Kristi resides in sunny Colorado with her hubby, two kiddos, and behaviorally-challenged dogs. (Taken from Goodreads)

Author Links:
http://www.kristihelvig.com/
http://www.twitter.com/KristiHelvig 
http://www.kristihelvig.com/blog/ 
https://www.facebook.com/KristiHelvigAuthor 
https://plus.google.com/101502561446558462959?prsrc=5 

Purchase Links:
Amazon
Indiebound
Barnes & Noble

Giveaway: The awesome people at Egmont are offering (1) SIGNED hardcover copy of Burn Out to one lucky winner! Open to US/CAN only!

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The Shadow Prince Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain! Today I have my review of the book along with a signed copy giveaway!

The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark #1)

Author: Bree Despain

Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Publisher: Egmont USA

Description:

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.  

The Shadow Prince is the first book in a spectacular new young adult fantasy series that follows our two main characters - Haden Lord and Daphne Raines. Of course, nothing and no one are what they seem in the book - Haden is an Underlord Prince sent to find Daphne and bring her back to the Underworld with him. Daphne is an incredibly talented musician and singer - due to her destiny as the Cypher, which she has no idea about. Daphne gets swept away by her incredibly neglectful rock star father to a new town that has an incredibly prestigious music program - everything that Daphne always dreamt of. Now that Haden has walked through the Gate into the Overrealm, his destiny - along with Daphne's - is about to be set into motion and neither of them can do anything to stop it. They both learn a ton along the way, including one of the most important lessons of all - their fate is in their own hands.

I absolutely loved this book! There was so much going on the entire time that it felt like a fast-paced action novel, only there was a ton of other elements mixed in to create a riveting story that I literally couldn't put down. As the genre description mentions, there's a lot of mythology going on throughout the book. I loved each bit of it and it only made me want to learn more. The author weaves in so many different myths that it felt like the gods were truly alive. It honestly sparked a huge interest in mythology for me - I definitely think I'll be reading into more of it after this. The characters were well written, each with their own strengths and flaws. Daphne is a wonderful leading lady for the story - she's smart, driven, talented, kind, and a very devoted and loving daughter and friend. She makes a great opposite to Haden's character, which is part of the reason I think they work so well together. Haden is your typical tough on the outside, but squishy on the inside guy. He's incredibly hot (of course) and he has the typical issues that most "bad boys" do - he's a bit of a jerk who thinks he's better than everyone. (Okay, so he actually was considered above most of the people in the Underworld, but still - no need to be a jerk about it.) Haden is half human, which everyone in the Underworld, including himself, has always seen as a weakness. As it turns out, it's this very side of him that might just save Daphne and the rest of the world. I liked digging into Haden's character - it was like ripping away layers until you finally saw the truth of who he really was - and then you just loved him all the more for it.

The plot was full of action, adventure, and romance (of course). I loved watching Haden and Daphne interact and to see their relationship grow and change throughout the story. As I mentioned, the book was stuffed full of mythology - from the characters to settings and myths - and I loved every bit of it. I found the way the author mixed all the various myths together to create this intricate story was amazing. It kept me eagerly reading so I could learn more and see what was going to happen next. There's some elements of suspense and mystery thrown in for good measure, which only adds to the appeal - in my opinion. Overall, I honestly can't say enough good things about this book to convey how much I loved it. It far outpassed most other books in the same genre and left me dying for more. (How much longer until the next book releases?!) I very highly recommend this to fans of YA fantasy fiction along with those who enjoy mythology along with a wide range of other genres, including those looking for an original and refreshing take on mythology. 

Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. The Dark Divine is Bree's debut novel. (Taken from Goodreads)

Author Links:
http://www.breedespain.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/readbree
http://twitter.com/breedespain
http://pinterest.com/breedespain
http://breedespain.tumblr.com/

Giveaway: The awesome people at Egmont are allowing me to give away a SIGNED copy of The Shadow Prince to (1) lucky reader! (US Only)

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