Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday: Bionic by Suzanne Weyn


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  My pick this week is by an author that I have enjoyed many books from, Suzanne Weyn.  Hoping it will be a good one, and it comes out in October.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:


Mira has always almost had it all... until it all crashes and burns. She's hurt in a horrible car accident, and the only way the doctors can help is to try experimental prosthetics and chips that are implanted directly into her brain. It's a huge risk, but after months of testing and therapy, Mira is back, and better than ever.

But soon her friends turn against her as their parents call her on unfair advantages and get her cut from lacrosse and the scholarships she was depending on for college. And with her enhanced hearing, she knows how many people in her school and her town are calling her a robot, a cyborg.




Is that true? Is Mira human, or is she somehow something other? How can she overcome the ways people see her and just be herself... especially if she's not really sure who that is anymore?

Suzanne Weyn is always at the cutting edge when it comes to new tech and the questions it raises about the world we live in. 


Sounds like it could be a very interesting read!  And from my past experience, Weyn's books are always pretty quick and easy reads.  So, what book are you eagerly awaiting this week? 

And hey, while you're here, don't forget I've started my 5th Annual September is for Sequels Challenge if you want to join in!  Go HERE to learn more about it or join in! 

Promo Post: An Arrangement by Lindsay Marie Miller


Book info:
Title:  An Arrangement  
Author:  Lindsay Marie Miller
Genre:  New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date:  August 30, 2016

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:

When Claire Andrews returns home from college for the summer, her little sister is rushed to the hospital due to a life-threatening heart condition. On her twenty-first birthday, Claire will receive a trust fund set aside by her late father with enough money to cover all medical expenses.


The catch?

Claire must marry a rich man or her access to the trust will be denied.

Her childhood crush, Benjamin Lewis, is a twenty-eight-year-old billionaire business mogul and New York City’s most eligible bachelor. When Ben agrees to marry Claire, her financial problems are solved.

But will the price Claire must pay in return be too much for her heart to bear? 



Available Now for .99 cents!




Excerpt:

“They can treat Amy,” I announced, staring blindly out the window. “It’s experimental stuff, but the doctors are going to do everything they can. It’s not too late.”

Mom breathed a sigh of relief, and I seemed to feel it more than see or hear it.

“Insurance won’t cover it, but I told Dr. Abrams that it wouldn’t be a problem.” I looked back over my shoulder at Mom, confused by the fearful look on her face. Her cropped black hair looked frazzled and worn, while her blue eyes, Amy’s eyes, shifted with terror and panic. “What? What is it?”

“Claire,” she cried, grabbing ahold of my wrist until I sat down in the chair beside her. “We can’t afford that. We don’t have the money.” The tears started up again, and I wanted to slap her for lying to me.

“What are you talking about?” I jerked at her shirtsleeve. “What do you mean we don’t have the money? Daddy left you a fortune!”

“Your father only left me with enough to live on until you girls came of age. That and the house.”

“Came of age?” I crossed my arms over my chest, while she dabbed her eyes with his handkerchief.

“The rest of your father’s wealth is in a trust fund that he set up especially for you girls. He wanted to take care of the two of you, maybe because he knew that I couldn’t.”

Wouldn’t was more like it.

“And why wasn’t I told about this? This mysterious trust fund?”

“Because you can’t access it until you turn twenty-one,” she clarified.

“My birthday’s next week,” I noted, stating aloud what we both already knew.

It was my twenty-first birthday to be exact.

“I know.” Her tears dried immediately, as she reached into her handbag to grab her phone. “I’ll call your father’s attorney. He drew up the contract. I think there were some other stipulations.”

“What do you mean?” My frustration resurfaced, while I watched her dial numbers on the LED touch screen. “What kind of stipulations?”

“In order to access all of the money in the trust…”

“Yeah,” I answered, nudging her on. “I have to be twenty-one. What else?”
“I think you have to be married, too.”

Married? How could that even be legal?

I sat down on the floor and held my head in my hands. Everything had happened too soon, making my world spin out of control. I penned a mental list in my head that summed up the main points of the day.

Amy was sick. And her condition, if not treated, was most likely fatal.

Insurance would not cover the experimental treatments, and Mom didn’t have the money to pay.

Instead, my late father’s wealth had been stowed away in a trust, which I would soon have access to.

As long as I married. As long as I had a husband. And all the while, Amy’s heart could be failing.

Money was the only way to save my sister, and at present, marriage was the only way to get the money.

I needed a husband by next week.
      
   And I didn’t even have a boyfriend.


***
Also Available:

S.I.N.G.L.E. is FREE! (Reg. Price $4.99)
Limited Time Sale
August 29th—September 2nd
Amazon Exclusive

***
  


About Author:
LINDSAY MARIE MILLER was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL, where she graduated from high school as Valedictorian. Afterwards, Lindsay attended Florida State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with an English Literature major, Psychology minor, and Specialized Studies in Markets and Institutions.

Lindsay is the author of the Jones Series, Jungle EyesEmerald Green, S.I.N.G.L.E. and An ArrangementAn incurable romantic at heart, she enjoys writing about strong heroines and the honorable gentleman who claim their hearts, often utilizing elements of suspense, adventure, or even comedy. While the context of her writing is diverse, one factor always remains at the center of every novel: Love. 

In her free time, Lindsay enjoys singing, playing the piano and guitar, and writing songs. The author resides in her hometown of Tallahassee, FL, where she is currently working on her next novel.

Connect with Lindsay Marie Miller
Goodreads


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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Author Interview and Giveaway - Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson

Book info:
Red: The Untold Story 
by Angela M. Hudson
Genre: YA Fairytale Retelling 
Release Date: July 25th, 2016

Summary from Goodreads:
A powerful new YA novel by award-winning dark romance author AM Hudson.

Do not go gentle into the wolf's asylum...

Once every twenty years, pack alpha Luther takes a new wife. On the day of Selection, Red ischosen. Just as her family always planned. Just as she always planned. Until she met Alex Plain.

Alex took Red to worlds she never imagined, where the ordinary is seen as magical, and the upright is abstract. With the help of this new friendship, Red begins to see a future for herself outside of the pack. But, unfortunately, Alex Plain came along too late.

Red is obligated to marry Luther now, and taken to live in the mysterious Ravenswood Mansion, where truth lies and the walls have eyes. What Red learns there about her alpha will ignite some burning questions—ones that, when answered, could undo the entire order of the pack:

What happened to all the children born there? Why hasn’t this mansion left the seventeenth century? And where are all his previous wives?

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes and Noble


 Author Interview:
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1.     Where did you get your idea for your story? 
That’s a tough question. I guess it started with the cover idea (which I didn’t end up using in the end) and a story of a girl named ‘Red’ formed from there. It quickly became a tale of Red Riding Hood, and then I scrapped that entire novel and wrote what we have now; same characters, different era, different set of circumstances. I tend to do that with most novels I write, so it’s hard to say where the idea came from. Ha ha ha.


2.     What does your writing process look like?  What is your method of writing?  Do you know the whole story when you start?  Do you plan it all out before you start writing?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of your pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it notes, etc.?
Again, like the previous question, I have a pretty odd process. These days I plan a basic plot outline so I know where I’m going, and then tweak it from there. But the outline will be super basic, like: She meets [this guy] and then needs to do [this] before she gets to [that], so that in the end [this will happen]’. Once I have an idea of the story direction, I just write, and then go along with what my characters want from there, even if it changes the entire plot or I end up scrapping the book and starting again.

3.     Do you have a favorite author or genre of books? 
Oddly enough, even though I write paranormal romance, I don’t like to read that genre. I prefer plain old contemporary romance. But it seems like romance has a label these days and most people think that it means erotic books, but I like my books clean and heartbreaking, but with a happy ending. Nicholas Sparks never seems to let me down, and I’ve loved everything I’ve ever read from Colleen Hoover, but I don’t really have a favourite author.

4.     How long have you been writing? 
Since 2007, but I didn’t start making a career of it until 2011.

5.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers? 
Way too many to list here. Ha ha ha. I mean, we all know the basics, right?: If you have a dream, go for it; never read a negative review (and never respond). But I think my favourite piece of advice is: The only difference between a success and a failure is the failure to give up in the face of failure.

6.  What's next for you?
 I’m taking a break right now and ‘finding my voice’ again, but then I’m pretty sure I’ll work on this early-1900s fantasy romance. I can’t say too much about it because I started writing it over a year ago and haven’t been able to ‘get into it’, so I don’t want to get anyone excited if I scrap this one and move on. But I am thinking about a Jason and Rochelle novel (characters from my Dark Secrets series).

7.  Favorites:  Movies/tv shows, social media site, music, food (writing snack)
Movies: Ever After; Kate & Leopold; The Count of Monte Cristo; The Notebook; All LOTR and Hobbit movies. And so many more. I’m huge movie buff.

TV shows… you shouldn’t have asked that, ha ha ha: TVD; The Originals; The Tudors; GoT; Walking Dead; Outlander; Heartland; Reign; and I loved The Secret Circle and a few other awesome shows that got cancelled. And, again, so many more.

Music: I love dark, moody, soulful stuff. Mostly alternative: Thirty Seconds to Mars; Muse; Birds of Tokyo; Birdy; Radiohead; Civil Twilight; Keith Urban; Luke Sital-Singh; Audioslave; Daughtry. I could go on for ever. 
As for a writing snack, I avoid eating while writing because I put on stacks of weight and got too tired to write. Ha ha ha. So now I take breaks and eat protein-rich foods to sustain me while I work (Yikes, I sound like one of those health nuts! Ha ha ha). But, really, writing is everything to me, and giving my readers the best of me is my top priority, so I like to perform at my best. Kind of like an athlete. But this is Author-lympics. Ha ha ha
 

 Thanks for having me.  


About the Author:
From the town that brought you Sam Worthington, the city that brought you Heath Ledger, and the country that gave you Chris Hemsworth, comes the AusRom TODAY Author of the Year 2015 and Best Established Author nominee AM Hudson.  


This internationally successful author has captivated fans all over the world since her Dark Secrets series was released in 2011. Known for her character-driven novels and twisted plots, her epic stories will confuse you, draw you in, make you feel something, including a strong desire to slap the protagonist.  

When she's not making people fall in love with her works, she spends time sorting a mountain of laundry for her four sons and drags shoelaces around the house for her Ragdoll cat Pudding to chase.  

Mrs. Hudson loves a good chat about all things bookish, so come find her on Facebook at 'AM Hudson', and she absolutely loves readers that leave reviews. 

Author Links: WebsiteGoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazon Author's Page 


Giveaway:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours  Go HERE for the complete tour schedule.


Monday, August 29, 2016

Cover Reveal: Redux (Tricksters #2) by A.L. Davroe


Today, I am extremely excited to share the cover reveal for Redux (Tricksters #2) by A.L. Davroe! But first, let's look back at Book 1:

About book #1:
Nexis (Tricksters, #1) by A.L. Davroe 
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2015
Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction

Published by: Entangled Teen
In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.
Check out my review of Book 1 HERE.

About book #2:
Redux (Tricksters #2) by A.L. Davroe
Published by: Entangled Teen

Release Date: March 21st, 2017

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction 

The domed city of Evanescence is in ruins. With nowhere to go, prodigy hacker Ellani “Ella” Drexel and a small band of survivors flee to the Undertunnel below their city.

To escape the wasteland she unknowingly created.

But sanctuary is hard to find. With malfunctioning androids and angry rebels at their backs, the group hopes to press on for the neighboring city of Cadence. But Ella’s chosen path is challenging…life-threatening, even. Worse, the boy she loves is acting distant, and not at all like the person she first met in Nexis.

But then Ella learns a secret…and it changes everything.

Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered.

 
Or die trying. 

About the Author:
A.L. (Amanda) writes both YA and adult speculative fiction. She prefers revisionist tales in paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and fantasy. She is the author of Salvation Station (adult psych horror), The City Steam Collection (adult psych horror), For Your Heart (YA Paranormal Romance), Nexis (Tricksters, #1) (YA Sci-Fi), and M.I.A. (YA suspense-horror).  Her YA Sci-Fi novel, Redux (Tricksters, #2), is coming out with Entangled Publishing on March 21, 2017!
 
By day, Amanda lives in Connecticut with her two feline hench-creatures.  She's a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she's a huge advocate of alternative healing methods.  Amanda also wears purple shoes and corsets...Though not always in the same ensemble.  She's a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, a bit gothic, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.  Amanda also suffers from Resting Bitchface Syndrome (RBS), so even though she might look like she'll tie you in a knot if you come near her, she's more afraid of you than you are of her.

 

Blog Tour: Author Interview and Giveaway - And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

Book info:

Title: AND THE TREES CREPT IN

Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Pub. Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
 
A stunning, terrifying novel about a house the color of blood and the two sisters who are trapped there, by The Dead House author Dawn Kurtagich.
 
When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt's home, it's immediately clear that the "blood manor" is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too--the questions that Silla can't ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that's appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?


Filled with just as many twists and turns as The Dead House, and with achingly beautiful, chilling language that delivers haunting scenes, AND THE TREES CREPT IN is the perfect follow-up novel for master horror writer Dawn Kurtagich.

Author Interview:
1.  What does your writing process look like?  Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, note cards, post-it notes, etc.?

I use a combination of methods, but each book is written in its own way. The usual steps are as follows:
  • 1.     Follow a morning routine.
I do this for as long as I am in an early-bird phase. I’m not always there naturally, but I try to keep myself for the majority of the year. In winter, I tend to go more nocturnal. Even then, however, I’ll still follow a morning routine. I do this as a sort of ritual to get me into a success mind-frame and by doing so I have great writing days and truly love what I’m doing.
  • 2.     Pants to Plan
While working by the seat of your pants is SO much fun, and I did it for years, nowadays, I need to be more organized. Often I’m writing on proposal, so I need to have written the synopsis for the whole book before I even begin. These synopses will usually change—quite dramatically sometimes—as I then get writing. But it usually means that I know what is going to happen and how it is going to end.
  • 3.     Post-its and Index cards
I use post-its and index cards somewhere in my process. Always. It might be mid-draft if I reach an unforeseen roadblock, or it might be later during revisions.
  • 4.     Road-maps
I have recently started road-mapping on a large piece of paper like Holly Black and Marcus Sedgwick. By doing this it’s much easier to see the overall picture, particularly with complex plotlines.
  • 5.     Variety
I use a variety of other methods to help me work: drawing, diary-keeping, painting, journaling, keeping a writing journal, crafting and so much more. There are limitless ways of exploring the story you’re trying to tell, and each one might reveal part of the puzzle. Think outside the box!

2.  How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?
This one is tough. Mostly because I think readers expect my answer to be the answer. Maybe there’s a doorway in the forest where I find them floating in the air. (I wish!) The truth is, they just come. Ideas just are. My usual problem is not finding one, but choosing the right one.  

3.  How long have you been writing?
As a dyslexic person, I came to books later in childhood. Because of this, I used to draw to tell my stories. I used to draw comic strips with insanely melodramatic storylines. I started doing that when I was very young. Three? Four? When the words did reach me (or when I reached them), I began writing my first novel. I was twelve. I finished it at 17.  

4.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
Try to be patient. Youth is never patient, but try to be. Write something for yourself. Let yourself love it. Go with the flow while you can. Then: edit. Perfect your book. If you like, get others to read it. Edit, rewrite, and rewrite again. Think. Pause. Meditate. When your book is the best you can possibly make it, only then think about the next steps. And when you do think about the next steps, go as carefully and as patiently as before (and repeat all the above steps). You’ll get to the next step after that . . . repeat as above.
This is a cool industry, but tough. Being patient, learning your craft, growing a thick skin, and staying deathly in love with it will go a long way.
But also: Disregard any and all advice that doesn’t work for you. You just might need to break the rules.

5.  What is your favorite scary story/book/author?
Picking only one? Now you’re just being cruel!

6. Favorites:  Movies/tv shows, social media site, music, food (writing snack) 
Movies: The Fountain, A Tale of Two Sisters, Insidious, Heavenly Creatures, Stigmata, Never Let Me Go, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. THERE ARE SO MANY WE WILL BE HERE FOREVER.

Social Media: Instagram

Music: SOOOOOO Much. Current obsession: Die Antwoort (they make me laugh)
Writing Snacks: Water and chocolate mint sticks or pocky!

Thank you for having me on your wonderful blog! Be sure to come say hi and follow me on instagram, because I might just be listing a giveaway soon….!
 
About Author:

Dawn Kurtagich is a writer of creepy, spooky and psychologically sinister YA fiction, where girls may descend into madness, boys may see monsters in men, and grown-ups may have something to hide. Her debut YA novel, The Dead House, is forthcoming from Orion/Indigo (UK) and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (US) in 2015. 

By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.
She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween! 
When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. 
She writes over at the YA Scream Queens, a young adult blog for all things horror and thriller, and she is a member of the YA League.
Her life reads like a YA novel.
 
Giveaway Details:

  • 3 winners will receive a finished copy of AND THE TREES CREPT IN, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/29/2016- Lisa Loves LiteratureInterview
8/30/2016- Curling Up With A Good BookReview
8/31/2016- Bookish FangirlGuest Post
9/1/2016- NovelKnightReview
9/2/2016- Once Upon a TwilightInterview

Week Two:
9/5/2016- Pretty Deadly ReviewsReview
9/6/2016- Ohana ReadsGuest Post
9/7/2016- Such a Novel IdeaReview
9/8/2016- Bookish LifestyleInterview
9/9/2016- A Dream Within A DreamReview