Blog Tour Author Interview with Giveaway: Resurrection Girls by Ava Morgyn

Blog Tour with Giveaway: The Life and Death Parade by Eliza Wass

Book info:

Title: THE LIFE AND DEATH PARADE

Author: Eliza Wass

Pub. Date: June 26, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 256

Find it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Synopsis:

One year ago, Kitty's boyfriend Nikki Bramley visited a psychic who told him he had no future. Now, he's dead.

With the Bramley family grieving in separate corners of their home, Kitty sets out to find the psychic who read Nikki his fate. Instead she finds Roan, an enigmatic boy posing as a medium who belongs to the Life and Death Parade--a group of supposed charlatans that explore, and exploit, the thin veil between this world and the next. A group whose members include the psychic... and Kitty's late mother.

Desperate to learn more about the group and their connection to Nikki, Kitty convinces Roan to return to the Bramley house with her and secures a position for him within the household. Roan quickly ingratiates himself with the Bramleys, and soon enough it seems like everyone is ready to move on. Kitty, however, increasingly suspects Roan knows more about Nikki than he's letting on. And when they finally locate the Life and Death Parade, and the psychic who made that fateful prophecy to Nikki, Kitty uncovers a secret about Roan that changes everything.

From rising star Eliza Wass comes a sophisticated, mesmerizing meditation on the depths of grief and the magic of faith. After all, it only works if you believe it.

About the Author:

Eliza Wass is an author, journalist, and the wife of the late musician Alan Wass. Her debut novel, The Cresswell Plot, was published in 2016 to critical acclaim by Disney-Hyperion. She has contributed articles to The Guardian, Grazia, NME, Shortlist and THE FALL.

​

Her second book with Disney-Hyperion, The Life and Death Parade, will be published in June 2018.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway:

• 3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE LIFE AND DEATH PARADE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/18/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

6/19/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

6/20/2018- Lisa Loves Literature- Review

6/21/2018- Novel Novice- Guest Post

6/22/2018- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Excerpt

Week Two:

6/25/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Review

6/26/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

6/27/2018- Such A Novel Idea- Review

6/28/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview

6/29/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

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2017 Debut Authors Bash - Featuring Alison Gervais's Dream Cast For Her Debut Novel: In 27 Days #17DABash

I'm participating in this fun yearly event once again hosted by YA Reads.  I'm lucky enough to be posting about two authors this year, so be sure to check my post earlier this month HERE.  I read In 27 Days this past summer, and you can check out my review of it HERE. 

Book info: Title:  In 27 Days
Author:  Alison Gervais
Genre:  YA Contemporary, Magical Realism
Release Date:  July 25th, 2017 (Originally on Wattpad May 28th, 2012)
Publisher:  Blink YA Books
 
Synopsis:

Hadley Jamison receives an unexpected shock when she hears her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn’t know the quiet, reserved guy very well, but Hadley can’t shake the feeling that there was something she could have done to help him. Little does she know, she will actually have the chance. At Archer’s funeral, Hadley is approached by a man named Death who offers her a deal—if she accepts, she will be sent back twenty-seven days in time to prevent Archer from committing suicide. 

Twenty-seven days was the length of time it took for Archer to decide to kill himself, and twenty-seven days is all Hadley has to succeed in saving him. Unfortunately, Archer isn’t exactly on the same page. Despite his cold comebacks and aloof exterior, Hadley knows he needs her, and continues to pursue a friendship with him. Archer begins softening up, and Hadley believes that her mission to save him will be a success. 

But just when Hadley is beginning to feel confident, a series of dangerous accidents occur. She and Archer are pushed apart, and she must decide whether she is ready to risk everything—including her own life—to keep Archer safe.

Author's Dream Movie Cast: 

Hadley Jamison - Lucy Hale

Archer Morales: Tom Holland

Death: Misha Collins

Regina Morales: Rose Byrne

Victoria Incitti: Kathy Bates

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/121065368/playlist/2fE4vUBOclJZisKLmN3Mrf 

About the Author:

Alison Gervais joined the website for aspiring writers, Wattpad, her sophomore year of high school, and In 27 Days followed a few months later. In 27 Days has gone on to win a Watty Award, become the #1 title in the Adventure category, and secure nearly 20 million reads. Alison now attends the University of Colorado Pueblo pursuing a creative writing degree. If she's not writing or studying for classes, she can be found re-reading Harry Potter, watching Supernatural, or trying to win the affection of her two cats, Kovu and Rocket.  

Blink publishes authentic and immersive content that engages and inspires young adult readers, from cutting-edge plotlines to fantasy to romance to contemporary classics. For more information please visit BlinkYABooks.com.  

Review with Author Interview: In 27 Days by Alison Gervais

Book info:

Title:  In 27 Days
Author:  Alison Gervais
Genre: YA contemporary, magical realism
Release Date:  July 25th, 2017 (Originally on Wattpad May 28th, 2012)
Publisher:  Blink YA Books
Source: ARC from publisher and SIS-OY-EV Public Relations for honest review
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:

Hadley Jamison receives an unexpected shock when she hears her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn’t know the quiet, reserved guy very well, but Hadley can’t shake the feeling that there was something she could have done to help him. Little does she know, she will actually have the chance. At Archer’s funeral, Hadley is approached by a man named Death who offers her a deal—if she accepts, she will be sent back twenty-seven days in time to prevent Archer from committing suicide.

Twenty-seven days was the length of time it took for Archer to decide to kill himself, and twenty-seven days is all Hadley has to succeed in saving him. Unfortunately, Archer isn’t exactly on the same page. Despite his cold comebacks and aloof exterior, Hadley knows he needs her, and continues to pursue a friendship with him. Archer begins softening up, and Hadley believes that her mission to save him will be a success.

But just when Hadley is beginning to feel confident, a series of dangerous accidents occur. She and Archer are pushed apart, and she must decide whether she is ready to risk everything—including her own life—to keep Archer safe.

In 27 Days is available in hardcover for $16.99 at retailers nationwide and online on July 25, 2017. An e-book edition is also available.

My review:
First, the main character's name is the same as my 5 year old niece's name, so that was interesting to read, as you don't see a lot of people named Hadley.  But I do love the name.  The story is told from Hadley's point of view, so we don't necessarily get to know exactly what is going on in Archer's mind, or exactly what might make him want to kill himself, except through the experiences that Hadley creates as she tries to get to know him and make him not want to commit suicide.  What I like about the story is that it doesn't all just go easy as they start hanging out and become friends and all is good.  No, Archer has reasons for not trusting other people.  Reasons for not letting Hadley just walk right in and get to know him.  But he has a great family, and they are very accepting of Hadley, and welcome her into their fold.  It turns out that Hadley may come from a wealthier family than Archer, but having money takes from the time she gets with her parents.  And it's not that they don't love her, I'm glad that even though she has absent parents, it is worked in to show that they do really love her, and that they can learn from things going on in their life and try to make things better.  I like all the twists the story took whenever we learned something new about either Archer, or Hadley, or even just what the deal with Death actually will entail and make Hadley have to deal with.  

I only had two issues with the story.  One was how the two of them really didn't seem to know each other that much before all of this started.    But maybe that works better for the way the story is told.  The other issue I had maybe deals more with while the story is about a suicide being prevented, there isn't that much about the suicide itself.  Again, the way the story is told, that is probably for the best as well.  But don't go into the story expecting something like that.  For the most part you are getting the month before he will do it, just the repeat of it through Hadley's eyes.  Definitely a good read though.  One I can definitely see adding to my school library.

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, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?

I don’t really know the complete story when I start writing – I just write. I think that’s why it takes me so long, honestly. I work in bits and pieces as new things for the story fall into my head. Sometimes I can get on this big writing streak and complete maybe seven chapters in two days, and other times I can go two weeks and only write two sentences.

2. How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?

This is going to sound so silly, but I have absolutely NO idea where the idea for IN 27 DAYS came from. I was just sitting on a plane, on my way home from a youth conference in Indianapolis, and all of a sudden I asked the person sitting next to me if I could have a pen and a piece of paper because I knew I just had to start writing something. That something turned out to be IN 27 DAYS. When I was writing the story, there were bits and pieces of certain scenes that were rather emotional for me. I’ve struggled with depression for years, and I think it always will be an ongoing battle for me. It was difficult not to feel for these characters as their story unfolded because I’d been in some similar situations before.

3. How long have you been writing?

I started writing around the age of five, but it wasn’t until I was about ten or so that I began to consider becoming an author

4. What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

My one piece of advice is ALWAYS keep writing! Never stop! Remember to write for yourself because you have a story to tell, and don’t worry about what people are going to think. Carry a notebook with you in case inspiration suddenly comes to you – like it did for me! – and then you can get down to writing as soon as possible!

5. Some favorites:
   1. Books/authors/genres: Definitely YA Fiction, of any genre! All-time favorite would of course have to be the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.
   2. Movies/TV Shows: My favorite movie is actually a musical called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Favorite TV show would have to be Supernatural, and shows from old school Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
   3. Music: I am honestly a huge fan of big band music. I’ve always loved Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. I have about five different records of his.

  About the Author:

Alison Gervais joined the website for aspiring writers, Wattpad, her sophomore year of high school, and In 27 Days followed a few months later. In 27 Days has gone on to win a Watty Award, become the #1 title in the Adventure category, and secure nearly 20 million reads. Alison now attends the University of Colorado Pueblo pursuing a creative writing degree. If she's not writing or studying for classes, she can be found re-reading Harry Potter, watching Supernatural, or trying to win the affection of her two cats, Kovu and Rocket.  

Blink publishes authentic and immersive content that engages and inspires young adult readers, from cutting-edge plotlines to fantasy to romance to contemporary classics. For more information please visit BlinkYABooks.com.







 

Promo Post and Author Interview: We Awaken by Calista Lynne

Book info:
Title:  Awaken  
Author:  Calista Lynne
Publisher:  Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist:  Aaron  Anderson
Published:  July 14th, 2016
Genre:  YA magical realism, LGBQT protagonist

Synopsis:

Victoria Dinham doesn’t have much left to look forward to. Since her father died in a car accident, she lives only to fulfill her dream of being accepted into the Manhattan Dance Conservatory. But soon she finds another reason to look forward to dreams when she encounters an otherworldly girl named Ashlinn, who bears a message from Victoria’s comatose brother. Ashlinn is tasked with conjuring pleasant dreams for humans, and through the course of their nightly meetings in Victoria’s mind, the two become close. Ashlinn also helps Victoria understand asexuality and realize that she, too, is asexual.

But then Victoria needs Ashlinn’s aid outside the realm of dreams, and Ashlinn assumes human form to help Victoria make it to her dance audition. They take the opportunity to explore New York City, their feelings for each other, and the nature of their shared asexuality. But like any dream, it’s too good to last. Ashlinn must shrug off her human guise and resume her duties creating pleasant nighttime visions—or all of humanity will pay the price.

Buy links:
Harmony Ink Press: https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/we-awaken-by-calista-lynne-399-b

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/We-Awaken-Calista-Lynne/dp/1634769953/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1466868261&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble:  barnesandnoble.com/w/we-awaken-calista-lynne/1123939010?ean=9781634769952

 
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 am the outline queen, which is odd because I wasn’t always this way. The most important part of planning is writing up a list of scenes. My theory is that if I plan it all out and make a numbered list of everything that I know happens, I can just move on to the next number if I get stuck. It’s helpful for avoiding procrastination and writer’s block.
 
2.  With your story being about a dancer, are you a dancer yourself?  If not, how did you learn about the dancing world?

I wish I was a dancer! My only trysts into that community are the tap dancing lessons I took for a year in high school and the pathetic moves I break out at weddings. I study Drama & English and have worked in a few theatres. The drama and dancing community are closely intertwined in many ways so I was able to get firsthand experience and hear anecdotes, plus you can learn anything through research these days.
 
3.  What made you want to write about the topic of asexuality?

I wrote the representation I wish I had growing up. So many young people feel broken because they don’t know what asexuality is and my goal was to prove that anyone can have a happy ending regardless of whether or not they feel sexual attraction.
 
4.  Dreams play a big part of your story.  I often have very vivid dreams that I remember.  Do you remember your dreams?  What do you think about dream dictionaries and their "definitions" of different dream topics?

As a child I owned a dream dictionary and while they’re fun, I don’t believe a word of them. They are helpful in thinking up symbolism for novels, though. I tend to remember my nightmares more frequently than other sorts but I don’t have them too frequently. Dreams have just always excited me and I love stories that involve them. My favorite book in elementary school was The BFG and I love the Sandman graphic novels.

5. 
Favorites: 
Books/authors/genres American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Actually, all his books. Also I’m partial to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz.
Movies/TV Shows The Princess and the Frog. My favorite TV programmes are Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Fargo.
Music Broadway show-tunes get me going real good.
Food/writing snack Coffee and tea
Social Media Site Tumblr is a lot of fun for book photography. Twitter confuses me but I use it.

Author Bio:

Calista Lynne grew up on the American East Coast and is currently studying  in London. She  is having difficulty adjusting to the lack of Oxford commas across the pond and writes because it always seemed to make more sense than mathematics. Look for her near the caffeinated beverages.  



Author links:
Tumblr: http://calista-lynne.tumblr.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/calistawrites

Blog:  http://calista-lynne.blogspot.com/

If you stop by the author's blog she's got a giveaway for an e-copy of the book open until the end of July.