Cover Reveal + Author Interview: The Lost Souls Series by Eliza Freed

 

Forgive Me (The Lost Souls #1)

Author: Eliza Freed

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Expected Release Date: July 1, 2014

Publisher: Forever Yours (ebook)

Description:

Some things can't be forgiven...
 

Charlotte O'Brien should forgive God for her parents' death. She should forgive her boyfriend for his one horrific mistake that separated them, and she should forgive herself for cutting them both off, but instead she hates everyone.

But when her childhood friend Noble Sinclair arrives, his passion reignites the spark that had vanished so completely in Charlotte's gray existence. And in Noble's arms, Charlotte finally begins to wonder if she might be ready to choose the future with Noble over her shattered past.

Pre-order links:

Amazon

B&N

 

 

1. Tell us a little bit about The Lost Souls series…

It’s the story of Charlotte O’Brien–a stubborn, sarcastic, intensely loyal, and compassionate girl who loses her parents at the age of twenty, her first love at twenty-two, and her faith in God and herself too many times to count. Without a clue of how to survive, Charlotte withdraws to her rural hometown and embraces humiliation and self-loathing with an unnerving honesty.

The books are both heart-wrenching and hilarious. They portray that dark place, deep down inside all of us that responds to the pain we inflict on each other, and yet grant us permission to laugh as Charlotte hauls herself out of the darkness…and finds love in the process.

2. In the series, you fearlessly take your heroine, Charlotte to some dark places— how do you think these covers represent the story and Charlotte’s journey?

While Lost Souls is a love story, it’s also rather tragic and daunting. Charlotte grapples with questions that leave some of us staring into the darkness in the middle of the night.

What do we owe the dead?
Is there a divine plan?
How much of ourselves can we give to another before there’s nothing left?
Can we truly forgive what we can’t forget?

These covers are not only visually stunning, but brilliantly hint at the fact there’s a great deal more going on here than just love. Charlotte’s ethereal depiction in the background with her pleas written over her are right on.

She’s also a girl who doesn’t take her surroundings for granted. Charlotte beholds the clouds, the moon, the sunset, the ocean, the strength of the waves, the distance to the horizon, and incorporates those sights into her understanding of the world. The images within each ME are a nod to her connection to the Earth and they could not be more beautiful or appropriate.
Grand Central’s immensely talented Elizabeth Turner blew me away with these covers!

3. A lot of the action in THE LOST SOULS series is set in New Jersey. What’s your connection to the Garden State and why did you chose to set Charlotte’s story there?

I grew up in a rural town in Southern New Jersey which is a stark contrast to the urban setting of Rutgers University where I attended college. I’m odd in that I love the city and the country. The beauty of New Jersey is you can have both. It’s a haven for big
personalities and bigger hearts nestled amongst mountains, 130 miles of coastline, rural fields, New York and Philadelphia as our neighbors, and of course lots of highway exits.

I wanted the Lost Souls Series to give a voice to the rich diversity that exists here.

4. What 3 words would you use to describe your heroine, Charlotte?


Unsinkable. Jersey. Girl.

Debut author Eliza Freed writes new adult romance novels with a New Jersey wit and a hometown charm. The first book in her Lost Souls series will be released in 2014 by Forever Yours.

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Cover Reveal: Creators by Tiffany Truitt

 
Today Tiffany Truitt and Entangled Teen are revealing the final cover for The Lost Souls Trilogy, CREATORS. Along with an exclusive excerpt and a pre-order giveaway that Tiffany has set up on her blog!

Creators (Lost Souls #3)

Author: Tiffany Truitt

Genre: YA Dystopia

Expected Release Date: April 1, 2014 

Blurb:

Heartbroken but more determined than ever after a tense showdown in the woods, sixteen-year-old Tess once again returns to the safety of her community of Isolationists. Bolstered by new alliances and desperate to protect those she loves, this time she knows she can return stronger and more powerful than ever to take back what is hers.

As she trains in combat and grows more confident, Tess receives beautiful letters penned by her forbidden love, the chosen one James, from his prison in Templeton. He is now serving as a bodyguard to the creators—the team of scientists who created artificial life in the first place. And what he has discovered about the true origin of the illness that halted natural life could change everything.

Enemy will become ally and death will bring new hope in this stunning conclusion to Tiffany Truitt’s epic Lost Souls trilogy.

Pre-Order Link: Amazon

Exclusive Excerpt!

Somewhere, James was just as trapped as I was.

I thought of the morning when we lay with each other, curled against one another, never beginning and never ending. How we’d stayed like that till the sun began to rise.

James had reached down and pulled me off the ground. He wore a satisfied grin on his face. “Someone is mighty proud of himself,” I teased.

He laughed. It bounced through the forest, calling it awake. Readying it for the day. “I’m just insanely happy.”

I stood on the tips of my toes and kissed him gently on his scar. “I’m insanely happy too,” I whispered.

James looked down at me, and I was lost all over again. I would never tire of looking into those mismatched eyes. They didn’t make him different. They made him him. He chuckled as he reached over and pulled a leaf from my tangled hair. “They’ll know just by looking at you that we’ve been up to no good.”

“No good?” I purred. “I thought it was very, very good.”

James growled and lifted me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed his lips hungrily against mine. I moved my hands to his hair, curling my fingers into it, attaching myself to him. I never wanted to let go. Every part of me ached to be touched by him, and every part of me ached to touch him right back.

“Do you know how much I love you?” he breathed into the base of my neck. His lips fluttered against my skin.

I nodded, kissing the top of his head. “As much as I love you.”

James slowly put my feet back on the ground. He cradled my face in his hands. “That will never change. No matter what.”

I looked deep into his eyes. “I know.” Because I did. It was one of life’s few assurances. I would always love James.

I pressed my lips once again to his scar. “I adore this scar,” I whispered, unable to hide the smile that seemed etched on my face all morning.

“You’re enough to drive a man crazy,” he said The tremble of his voice caused my toes to curl. I wanted him again. And again. And again.

My fingers traced the waist of his pants. “Tonight?” I said, knowing full well it was a promise that I probably wouldn’t be able to keep.

James grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “Tonight,” he echoed.

As the sun climb higher into the sky, I knew our moment was coming to an end. James reached down and placed his hand over my heart. “Thank you,” he said.

“For what?” I asked, my voice choked with emotion.

“For everything.”

As the memory slipped away, I looked back up at the night sky. Praying and hoping that James knew how much I wanted to thank him too.

For everything.

About Tiffany:

Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don’t call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of one McDonalds and Banana Rats (don’t ask), she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).

Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman(5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered “low brow” or outside the “classics.”

Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom. She currently teaches the following novels: The Outsiders, Speak, Night, Dystopian Literature Circles: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Uglies, and Matched.

Tiffany is proud to call herself an educator and Young Adult author. Her first book will be published by Entangled Publishing.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Also Tiffany has a Pre-Order Contest going on over at her blog http://tiffanytruitt.wordpress.com/ three lucky people that pre-order CREATORS will win a signed Cassandra Clare poster!

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

Naturals Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Naturals (The Lost Souls #2)
Author: Tiffany Truitt
Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction/Dystopia
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository 

Description:

Ripped away from those she loves most, Tess is heartbroken as her small band of travelers reaches the Isolationist camp in the mysterious and barren Middlelands. Desperate to be reunited with James, the forbidden chosen one who stole her heart, she wants nothing to do with the rough Isolationists, who are without allegiance in the war between the Westerners and Easterners. But having their protection, especially for someone as powerful as Tess, may come at a cost.

When James returns, Tess’s world once again feels complete—until she discovers her sister, Louisa, has taken up her old post at Templeton, the dangerous chosen ones training center and the site of Tess’s loss of innocence. Tess will do anything to protect her loved ones—but will the price be more than she can give?

This second book in Tiffany Truitt’s dystopian series is a thought-provoking, thrilling story that asks who the true enemy really is—the chosen ones who are different, or the naturals…who are just like us.

About Book #1 in the series:

Chosen Ones (The Lost Souls #1)
Author: Tiffany Truitt
Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction/Dystopia
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository 

Description:

Life is bleak but uncomplicated for sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-too-distant future where the government, faced with humanity's extinction, created the Chosen Ones, artificial beings who are extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

When Tess begins work at Templeton, a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to Templeton than Tess ever knew. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life? 

Chosen Ones is the first book in a young adult dystopian series that follows Tess as she begins her servitude at Templeton - the training center for the chosen ones. The chosen ones are genetically altered humans who are as close to perfect as science can get. They are beautiful and deadly - and will take over the country when the naturals die out. Tess has been sent to work at Templeton as part of her family's servitude after her older sister dies. What Tess finds at Templeton is dangerous and confusing in the form of a chosen one named James. James finds Tess intriguing for unknown reasons and she begins feeling emotions she swore she never would have for another person - let alone a chosen one. Will Tess be able to let James in or will she defend her life against the government that oppresses her and her people?

This was a truly orginal and inventive dystopian novel that had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them. Everything about the story - the history of the country, the council, and the chosen ones - along with the everyday lives the people lead - was vividly described and I felt like I could easily close my eyes and insert myself into the story. Tess was a wonderful main character. She was very realistic - flawed and jaded, but also vulnerable and yearning for love. She was brave and strong, but also had a deep curiosity and a strong will to stand up for what she believed in. James was also an interesting character - a chosen one who seemed to be more of a natural. He was handsome, yet scarred - this was both metaphoric in his character as well as physical. We see a great depth in both of these characters and they each grow as a result of their relationship and the issues they must deal with throughout the book. The plot was incredibly captivating - I was hooked from the very beginning. I devoured every page and it still wasn't enough. I'm hoping that the second book delves even deeper into the history of the council and the chosen ones as well as giving the reader a deeper understanding of the past and the present world that the book is set in. There were several layers to the book and I loved peeling each one back as the book progressed. There were so many secrets hidden from the people and I was digusted yet intrigued as Tess and James learned more and more about the world they really knew nothing about. The writing was impeccable and was written with a fluid ease that let me drop right into the world and the story with no problem. I honestly didn't want the story to end, but knowing that it's just the beginning of the series makes it a bit easier. This is a thrilling first installment in a captivating and completely enchanting dystopian series that readers will not want to miss out on. Highly recommended!!

Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don’t call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of one McDonalds and Banana Rats (don’t ask), she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).

Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman (5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered “low brow” or outside the “classics.”

Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom. She currently teaches the following novels: The Outsiders, Speak, Night, Dystopian Literature Circles: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Uglies, and Matched.

Tiffany is proud to call herself an educator and Young Adult author. Her first book will be published by Entangled Publishing.

Where you can find her: 
Website: http://tiffanytruitt.wordpress.com/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiffanytruitt 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiffany-Truitt/205025266243934 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5252348.Tiffany_Truitt

Giveaway: (3) ebook copies of Naturals - Open Internationally!

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