Demanding Ransom Tour Stop: Guest Post + Giveaway

Today as part of the Demanding Ransom Blog Tour - Kismet Book Touring - I've got the lovely Megan Squires on the blog with some fun facts about herself! She loves Breaking Bad, so now we're BFFs! Have a look and enter to win before you go! :)

Demanding Ransom
Megan Squires

Genre: New Adult Romance
Publication date: June 2013

Sometimes life takes things away from you. In nineteen-year-old Maggie Carson’s case, it’s taken more than its fair share.

Determined to move forward, Maggie embarks on her first year of college, hoping to finally put her past behind her, exactly where it belongs.

But that’s hard to do when the present is just as difficult. And even harder when someone like Ran, the gorgeous paramedic that keeps crossing Maggie’s path, challenges her to face things head on, rather than bury them like she always does.

Ran hasn’t had a perfect life either. But there’s something different about him, and something different about the way he makes Maggie feel. Maybe meeting Ran is life’s little gift for Maggie—a sort of consolation prize for enduring everything she's had to go through.

But things don’t come easy for Maggie. Why should love be the exception? And just when everything starts to settle, it’s all turned on its head once again.

If there is one thing Ran has taught Maggie, it’s that you can’t sit on the sidelines of your own existence. When life takes something that’s yours, you have every right to demand it back.

Only for Maggie, that is easier said than done.

Guest Post by Megan Squires

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10 Random Facts About Megan Squires (in no particular order)

I have never seen any of the original Star Wars. Or any Indiana Jones. Or The Sound of Music. Call me un-American if you will. I did, however, seen the Baz Lurhmann  Romeo and Juliet seven times in the movie theater. So I think that proves that I’m not only a bit of a creature of habit, but when I like something I tend to become a bit obsessed.


I was an International Relations major in college, yet have never really traveled internationally.  Well, that’s not entirely true. I did go to Costa Rica for two weeks when I was in my early twenties, but other than that, I’m a bit of a homebody.

I photograph newborn babies for a living. For the past five years, I’ve been a photographer and have a studio where I get to snuggle and photograph brand new babies. Other than writing, I think I have the best job on earth.

I write about my life. Sort of. I typically can’t get away from pulling past experiences into my stories. The snowboard scene in Demanding Ransom where they shut down the lift? Yeah. That happened. Luckily, it was with my best friend and not a guy, but still mortifying nonetheless.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was a Diet Coke addict. As in I would wake up and have a can every morning (and then several more throughout the day). Then I just decided to quite cold turkey. After getting past the initial few days of caffeine withdrawals, it wasn’t as difficult to kick as I thought it would be.

My first book boyfriend was Noah Calhoun from the Notebook. And I think he’ll always have a piece of my heart, though Jace Lightwood and Augustus Waters have successfully edged their way in.

This September I’ll celebrate my 10-year anniversary with my hubby.  And we’ll be going to Italy, so I can finally put all the international relating to use!

I wrote my first book on a whim. My best friend had just finished reading the Hunger Games and she said she needed another “escape” book, so I thought, “Hey, why not?” I was up that night outlining what later became Traced.

I’m obsessed with Breaking Bad. And have an unhealthy addiction to Jesse Pinkman. So excited for the final season to start in August!

I wrote Demanding Ransom in just under 30 days. I still don’t know how I did that, especially when I look at The Rules of Regret (my current work) and see that I’ve been writing it since February. I guess when inspiration hit, it really slugged me with that one!

About the Author

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Megan's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Megan Squires lives with her husband and two children just outside of Sacramento, California. A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Megan is now a full-time mother, wife, and dreamer – though her characters don’t often give her much opportunity to sleep.

This post is part of the Demanding Ransom blog tour:

Monday, June 24th - Just Reading For Fun 
Tuesday, June 25th - Nose Graze
Wednesday, June 26th - The Irish Banana
Thursday, June 27th - Proserpine Graving Books
Friday, June 28th - The Bookswarm

Monday, July 1st - Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, July 2nd Supernatural Snark 
Wednesday, July 3rd - Krista's Dusk Jacket 
Thursday, July 4th - Basia's Book Shelf 
Friday, July 5th - Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Monday, July 8th - Rose's Book Corner
Tuesday, July 9th - Confessions From Romaholics
Wednesday, July 10th - Xpresso Reads
Thursday, July 11th - The Book Cellar
Friday, July 12th - Selkie Reads Stories 

Giveaway: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (UK/Europe)

Antigoddess
Kendare Blake

Series: Goddess War #1
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology
Publication date: September 10th 2013
by Orchard Books

He was Apollo, the sun, and he'd burn down anything that tried to hurt her... Cassandra and Aidan are just your average high-school couple. Or so Cassandra believes. Blissfully unaware that she was once a powerful prophetess, Cassandra doesn't even know that god exist...Until now.

Because the gods are dying - and Cassandra could hold the answer to their survival. But Aidan has a secret of his own. He is really Apollo, god of the sun, and he will do anything to protect the girl he loves from the danger that's coming for her. Even if it means war against his immortal family...

Sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; relentless action and suspense - ANTIGODDESS is the YA novel you've been waiting for.

Thanks to the wonderful people over at Hachette Children's UK, I have a pretty ARC of Antigoddess for giveaway unique to my UK and Europe readers. I'm telling you - this one is not one you want to miss! Enter away!

Cover Madness Giveaway Hop!

While this is the 4th Cover Madness giveaway, this is the first time that it's in the form of a hop. Me and my co-host J-Dog Jenni of Alluring Reads are very excited about the number of participants and we think this will rock pretty hard! What is a Cover Madness? It's a giveaway where we feature some newly released book covers, and well you win one of them! ;) Read on for extreme madness!

Interview + Giveaway: The Well's End by Seth Fishman

I've got a special treat for you today. Seth Fishman is here to entertain us and talk about his fantastic looking upcoming YA Thriller novel, The Well's End. To end with a bang you can enter to win your very own ARC and some signed art!

The Well's End
Seth Fishman

Genre: YA Thriller
Publication date: February 25th 2014
by Putnam Juvenile

A deadly virus and an impossible discovery unite in one enthralling can’t-miss read.

Sixteen-year-old Mia Kish has always been afraid of the dark. After all, she’s baby Mia, the one who fell down a well. That was years ago, though the darkness still haunts her. But when her classmates and teachers at ritzy Westbrook Academy start dying of old age from a bizarre and frightening virus that ages its victims years in a matter of hours, Mia becomes haunted by a lot more than the dark. Their deaths are gruesome and Mia worries she and her friends may be next. In order to survive, Mia and her small crew must break quarantine and outrun armed soldiers in hazmat suits who shoot first and ask questions later.

And there’s only one place to go—the Cave, aka Fenton Electronics. Mia knows it’s somehow connected and hopes her dad, Director of Fenton Electronics, who has always been strangely secretive about his work, has the answers she needs, and more importantly a cure to save everyone before the whole town succumbs to the mysterious virus. Unfortunately, it’s not answers Mia discovers, but something far more treacherous and impossible than even the virus itself.

A high-stakes, fast-paced adventure with imagination and heart.

Interview with Seth Fishman

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Let's say hi to Seth and learn a bit more about this book of his! ;)

First of all, thanks to you and your XpressoReads Readers (that's a fun mouthful).  Hope these answers shed a nice light on The Well's End and the world of Mia Kish!

First, why don't you describe your book in a haiku (we all love haikus!) 

She's Baby Mia,
Even as the virus aged
Her classmates to death.

(This was way harder than I wanted it to be!)

What was the hardest part of writing in the POV of a female protagonist?

I must admit that I knew this wouldn't be a walk in the park, so I was hyper-vigilant while writing Mia, asking my wonderful editor (Stacey Barney) and my lovely wife for as much help as possible.  But I think the hardest thing was the not knowing what I was missing, not having the intuitive understanding of how a teenage girl might thing.  What became clear is that, when writing scenes between Mia and... a certain major character, I found that I was overplaying Mia's hand, and making the guy too... cool, I guess.  Which felt very realistic for me, but my readers weren't sure he liked her at all (which is real life, though eh?) So I had to work hard to change that, put them on even keel.  It was so different from anything I've written before and a real challenge.  But, at the end of the day, I was focusing on an interesting character, regardless, you know?

What was your favorite scene to write in Well's End?

This is an easy one for me: There's a scene where Mia has to, for various reasons, break through ice on a lake and swim underneath the ice, which is basically one of the scariest things I could imagine.  It was so dark and hard to write, but when it was done it felt claustrophobic (in a good sense), and I hope it's just as intense for readers too!

Is there anything about you or your book that would surprise your readers?

Hmm, maybe a few things.  Like, that Mia falling down a well is based on a true story from my hometown.  Or that the gas mask on the cover is REAL and that the art director cracked the glass to make that image.  Or that this is my fourth book (and first one that was young adult, and good enough to be published).  Or that I can hold my breath for 3 min and 6 seconds under water.

Thanks so much for coming by my little corner of the web, Seth! The Well's End definitely sounds awesome!

About the Author

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Seth's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Seth Fishman is a native of Midland, Texas (think Friday Night Lights), and a graduate of Princeton University and the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. He spends his days as a literary agent at The Gernert Company and his nights (and mornings) writing. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. This is his first novel (that’s not in a drawer).

Giveaway: Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell

Undercurrent
Paul Blackwell

Genre: YA Thriller
Publication date: July 23rd 2013
by Doubleday Canada 

Sixteen-year-old Callum Harris never wanted to move to Crystal Falls. Neither did Cole, his brawny and fearless older brother. With the recent separation of their parents, the brothers have had quite enough change of late.

But the move turns out to be only the first of many changes in Callum's life. After he plunges headlong over the falls, he wakes up in the hospital to find that life is no longer what it once was: his squabbling parents appear to have reconciled; his brother, an unrepentant jock and serial dater, is paralyzed and bed-ridden in a makeshift hospital room at home; and even Callum himself, always studious and unpopular, is now the object of desire for the two hottest girls in school.

As he adjusts to this surreal new life--a life both exhilarating and terrifying--Callum struggles to reconcile his past memories with a dangerous and uncertain present. Who is he? Where is he? And what, exactly, has he become?

Are you excited for this pretty as much as I am? Well good news for ya! The lovely people at Random House of Canada have generously offered up one finished copy of Undercurrent for giveaway to one lucky Canadian reader!

Spring Into Summer ARC Giveaway!

Since summer is approaching and I find myself with a few double copies of some epic summer ARCs - mostly hot sequels - I thought it was perfect timing to give back to my amazing followers who motivate me to blog every single day!

I won't keep you in anticipation, here's what's up for grabs:

-The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

-Altered by Gennifer Albin

-Ink by Amanda Sun

-False Sight by Dan Krokos

Review + Giveaway: The Trouble With Goodbye by Sarra Cannon

The Trouble With Goodbye
Sarra Cannon

Genre: NA Contemporary
Publication date: May 21st 2013

One night can change everything…

Two years ago, Leigh Anne Davis shocked everyone in tiny Fairhope, Georgia when she broke up with her wealthy boyfriend to attend an Ivy League university a thousand miles away. At school, she finds a happiness and independence she’s never known.

Until one terrifying night takes it all away from her.

With no place else to go, Leigh Anne heads home to reclaim her old life. A life she worked so hard to escape. On the outside, she seems like the same girl everyone has always known. But deep inside, she’s hiding a terrible secret.

That’s when she meets Knox Warner, a troubled newcomer to Fairhope. His eyes have the same haunted look she sees every day in the mirror, and when she’s near him, the rest of the world fades away. But being with Knox would mean disappointing everyone all over again. If she wants to save what’s left of her old life, she has no choice but to say goodbye to him forever.

Only, the trouble with goodbye is that sometimes it’s about courage and sometimes it’s about fear. And sometimes you’re too broken to know the difference until it’s too late.

-A copy was provided by Sarra Cannonfor review-

The reason behind the 3 stars for this book is due less to dissatisfaction, than to it not standing above the rest. I enjoyed the story, I liked the characters, and the writing was good, I just didn't find it differentiated itself from the countless similar stories I've read in this genre.

Girl comes back from a terrible college semester, girl meets boy, girl and boy are obviously both broken, boy helps girl find her way out of her dark place. It didn't take long for me to put this whole story together and figure out what happened to Leigh Anne. I think this is done a little purposefully, though; how we're made to be aware of what happened before we're told explicitly. It does help to get us emotionally involved to some extent, making us immediately sympathetic towards our protagonist. Since we know what she's burdened with, this helps understand her character somewhat as well. Nonetheless, I found myself not especially connecting with her with any sort of emotional depth. Her situation, albeit extremely disheartening, didn't grasp me like I was hoping. It could be because it's a story I've read numerous times, but it could also be because Leigh Anne failed to let me in. The romance is also an aspect I neither loved nor hated. It wasn't exactly insta-love, but it did evolve into "I love yous" fairly quickly, not giving me a chance to feel it first.

Even though this plot is one I have read before, it's the kind of story you can read countless times and, since they all have different circumstances, still gets you enraptured in it. The Trouble With Goodbye was that kind of read for me. I got caught up in it pretty easily. It helped that this one was kept fun and sweet, giving us a reprieve from the darker toned books with equally hard topics. There were some minor things plot wise that annoyed me, however. The one most worthy of note is Leigh Anne's mother. I could not stand this woman whatsoever. She doesn't even deserve the title of "mother" with the disgusting way she acts in this story. Caring more about her image than what her daughter went through. Ugh! I know such cold motherly behavior does exist, but I had a hard time believing Leigh Anne's would be uncaring to such degree - not even coming through at the end at all. One thing it did offer is character growth on Leigh Anne's part, seeing as she has to unclaw herself from her dependence on her parents.

It seems like I mentioned more negatives than positives in this review, but really I did enjoy the book, I just don't have any comments in particular about it otherwise. It was a good book, it didn't blow me away due to 1) the flaws mentioned above and 2) not standing out from others I've read with this storyline. With that said, I can see those newer to the genre being easily captivated by this novel.

3 Hot Espressos

This post is a part of The Trouble With Goodbye blog tour:

Click on banner for full tour schedule!

The Sea of Tranquility Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway!

I'm very excited to have the Sea of Tranquility blog tour drop by the blog today. I loved this book - find my review here - and today I'm honored to have Katja over for an interview and you can enter to win your very own copy!

The Sea of Tranquility
Katja Millay

Publication date: June 4th 2013 (pbk)
by Atria Books

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Two and a half years after an unspeakable tragedy left her a shadow of the girl she once was, Nastya Kashnikov moves to a new town determined to keep her dark past hidden and hold everyone at a distance. But her plans only last so long before she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the one person as isolated as herself: Josh Bennett.

Josh’s story is no secret. Every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. Everyone except Nastya who won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But as the undeniable pull between them intensifies, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the mira­cle of second chances.

Interview with Katja Millay

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Hi Katja,

I absolutely loved your book so I'm excited to have you visit my little place on the world wide web! :)

Thank you!  I love your blog. I appreciate you having me on today.

Q.- Let's start with something that a friend and I have been discussing lately about genres. I've seen some list your book as a New Adult, others as a Young Adult; how do you define New Adult? For instance, does it require that the character be over 18? Does it need to have sexual content? I'd like to know your take! :)

I’ve seen so many different explanations of what NA is believed to be lately.  At the moment, it seems to be widely associated with college-age romance.  However, in my mind, the term NA says more about the age of the characters and the period of life they’re experiencing than it does about the genre of the book. The characters are often making the transition from the shelter of their teenage years into the early stages of adulthood and dealing with all of the changes and growth that come at that point in life.  I think that’s one of the reasons why TSoT, although the characters are still in high school, is often considered New Adult.  Due to their unique situations, Nastya and Josh are facing some of the changes and much of the growing up that often comes later.  

It may make more sense to think of NA in much the same way we think of YA. If we consider what the term YA - or young adult - calls to mind, there isn’t the automatic assumption of a high school-based romance.  The overall conclusion is that teenagers will be present and that it is intended for that same general audience, but beyond that it can take any form.   The subject matter itself can vary widely – romance, paranormal, mystery, coming-of-age, etc.  I think of new adult the same way – as a categorization - a more mature version of young adult that doesn’t, by definition, imply sex and romance.

I don’t believe a new adult novel necessarily has to have sexual content in it.  I think the main reason many of the books being categorized as NA often do involve sex is because sex is a significant part of life at the age that the characters are so it tends to naturally play a role.  In any case, I think that the inclusion of sex should be dictated by the characters themselves and whether or not the sex is organic and is there to support the story, not vice-versa.

Q.- How difficult was it for you to write from a boy's perspective (so flawlessly, too!)?

Thank you! I appreciate that.  It was different.  I had to stay cognizant of the fact that there weren’t expressions he was using that a teenage boy wouldn’t use and that sort of thing. When I first started writing in his perspective, it was more difficult.  Once I had spent more time with him in my head, it became easier because I knew his character well enough that I was able to think in his voice.

Q.- Which perspective was the most fun for you to write?

Nastya was the most interesting character for me to write because she was snarkier and her thoughts were more unfiltered.  She was also more psychologically damaged so as a writer it was wonderful to be able to get lost in that mind and the way she viewed the world and the unique logic she employed.  I loved to delve behind the curtain there and show how the things that didn’t make sense to people on the outside made perfect sense to her.  Her mind was fascinating to me.  Also, although I wasn’t writing in his perspective, Drew was fun for me because he didn’t censor himself.

Q.- Do you have actors/pictures you used as inspiration for your characters' profile? If not, who would you love to see play them in a movie?

I actually did have a picture that I kept in mind when I was writing Nastya.  It was ripped out of an old magazine from a layout on hairstyles or something like that.  It wasn’t someone famous so I have no idea of her name but her face was haunting to me.  Eventually, once the character was more fully developed, she evolved in my mind and the image changed somewhat so she didn’t end up looking exactly like that picture but that’s where she started for me.  As for Josh, he lives in my head.  I see him in such detail and so fully formed that it’s impossible for me to fathom ever actually “finding” him.  I’ve never found a picture that even remotely fits the image I created of him.  I’m beginning to be convinced that I never will.  It’s difficult because there isn’t a plethora of well-known seventeen year old actors out there and I see Josh very much as the teenager he is.  He isn’t ultra-perfect and gorgeous in a model-type way.  He’s very real and down to earth.

Q. Can we expect a new book from you soon? *puppy eyes*

I’m writing right now but I don’t have an ETA at the moment.  I promise when I do I will shout it from the rooftops!  It’s going to be coming a little later than I originally planned.  We’re in the process of a long distance move which came unexpectedly, so unfortunately the book is on hold until we get the family settled.  It’s difficult because all I really want to be doing right now is finishing that story but when I write I need to get lost in the characters and that’s impossible with my mind in so many other places right now.  Sometimes life gets in the way.

Thanks so much!  I have been recommending Sea of Tranquility to everybody with death glares and all! :)

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Giselle!  And I appreciate the peer pressure by death glare!  That’s awesome!

About the Author

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Katja's Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Katja Millay grew up in Florida and graduated with a degree in film & television production from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She has worked as a television producer, and a film studies and screenwriting teacher. Currently she resides in Florida with her family. The Sea of Tranquility is her first book.

This post is part of the Sea of Tranquility blog tour:

Review + Giveaway: Bitter Angel by Megan Hand

Bitter Angel
Megan Hand

Genre: NA Contemporary/Thriller
Publication date: April 1st 2013

Torn between two realities.
A choice that will mean life or death.
But she won’t know anything… until she wakes up.

College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.

In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends' deaths.

As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?

The answer is just the beginning.

-A copy was provided by Megan Hand for review-

Bitter Angel was a very mixed bag for me. The first part would easily get a 4 stars; it was intriguing and exciting, it even had my heart pounding with pure adrenaline. Unfortunately the second part left a little too much to be desired, garnering only a 2 if rated separately.

Let's start at the beginning: After Lila decides to go out with her two best friends at a club, she never thought things would turn into a life or death situation involving gang rapes and abduction. What's peculiar though, is she also remembers what happens if she had stayed home with her boyfriend, and that scenario was equally terrible. Although obviously not "realistic", I found this to be very interesting. The abduction was a terrifying situation; all too real and with tons of intensity. The other reality, staying home and leaving her friends to themselves, evened this out with a sweet romantic night, but with its own consequence in the end. The action does plummet after these initial sequences, though, when Lila wakes up for her redo and the story switches gears. Mostly this next part contains exhausting inner dialogue, a lot of fidgeting, and even an instance of garbage eating.

Yes. Garbage eating. *shakes head still in disbelief* So Lila is spying on this guy, right, hiding out in a back alley, when hunger hits. It has been SO long - like, 8 hours!! - since she last ate that she can not fathom going another minute in hunger, so she jumps into the dumpster and searches through trash bags until she finds Chinese food… and eats it!

I think my barf just barfed!

"It's smelly, but what leftover Chinese isn't? I decide it's fresh enough."

Eeeh yeah no shit it's smelly! Even if it was only a day old (which I very much doubt seeing as even the buildings on this street are rotting), it was likely amongst used condoms and dirty diapers. No one normal would resort to this unless they were seriously starving to death and trapped. Not someone who ate lunch the very same day! On the plus side, it has brought on random giggling fits for the past 2 days whenever I'm reminded of it. Though I doubt this was the intended reaction. Even ignoring the hobo habits, Lila doesn't have the most common sense in all of this ordeal, diminishing the tension of the story greatly. It's hard to be scared for someone who puts themselves in their own messes. It comes to no surprise that I'm not this girl's biggest fan, however I can't say I disliked her either. She does prove her strength and determination more than once which redeems her faults a little. Like I said: a mixed bag!

The plot itself veers away from the expected traumatic side of this story line and instead focuses on bringing justice down on sickening evil. I was both intrigued and, I admit, a little disappointed by this - I do thrive on those traumatic psychological thrillers - but it was still a refreshing change of direction for a story that could easily have been another same ol'. I was horrified yet completely immersed when we learn of what these people have been doing on a regular basis. Most of the horror takes place at the beginning of this book, but we get a great climactic ending that brings back a little of the excitement I was hoping would keep throughout.

While I have obvious complaints about this novel, I can't ignore the fact that I was holding my breath during the first part, drowning in Lila's fear and truly feeling her heart breaking in guilt and grief. Megan clearly excels at writing suspense and I will be watching for more from her!

3 Hot Espressos

This post is a part of:

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Altered by Gennifer Albin Chapter Reveal + Giveaway

If you do not know yet how much I loved Crewel you can read my review here (it has giraffe balls)! For the rest of you, you must know how excited I am to be on this chapter reveal tour for its sequel, Altered. On each stop, you will ge part of the 1st chapter until you've read it all! Plus, you get a chance to win an ARC!

*Altered, the sequel to Crewel, does not yet have a cover*

Altered Chapter One (Part 3)

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[...Continued from Part 1 at Bewitched Bookworms and Part 2 at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog]

“Clearly the fact that we are in some type of forsaken alternate reality is much less important than your grudge against me, so can we get this over with and move on?” Erik asks. He moves out of the shadows to face his brother. Standing there, they mirror each other, and for the first time I study them as brothers. I’d only just figured out the real reason they were cold to each other at the Coventry: they were both hiding that secret. They’re exactly the same height, something I’d not noticed before, but Jost is bulkier from his work at the Coventry. He’s dressed in casual work clothes, unlike Erik, whose suit, while wrinkly, is still smart. Erik’s hair brushes his shoulders and Jost’s is longer, but although they share the same unruly waves, Erik’s silvery hair is smoothly slicked into place. Jost’s wild dark locks look like you’d expect after as much action as we’ve seen. The one thing that’s exactly the same is their piercing blue eyes.

“Grudge?” Jost laughs, but there’s a hollowness to it. “You think watching my wife, our sister, our mother get wiped from Arras resulted in a grudge?”

“Then why are you here? What purpose does it serve to run to the Guild if you hate them so much for what they did to Rozenn?” Erik demands.

“That’s our problem.” Jost steps closer to him. “You’ve never understood. Even I knew why Rozenn’s brother and his friends were discontent. I know what the Guild is capable of, and so do you. How can you turn a blind eye? You’ve become one of them.”

“Jost, you were at the Coventry for two years, and I never once let it slip you were from Saxun.”

“It would have given away your own secret. You wouldn’t want those officials knowing you were a fisherman’s son,” Jost accuses.

Erik’s jaw tightens.  “I never once gave them a reason to suspect your motives, but I’ll be honest with you, I don’t understand what you were waiting for. I expected you to attack them, maybe even kill the Spinster who did it. Anything,” Erik says. “I wouldn’t have blamed you. I stood back, and you did nothing. I actually thought maybe you’d formed some type of twisted dependency on them.”

“That’s not it.” Jost sighs, and the lightest of lines remain on his forehead and around his eyes. “If you understood then you’d know I wasn’t looking for some quick, simple payback. I want to understand how the system operates.”

“How will that help you heal?” Erik demands. “What can you possibly gain?”

“Myself ? Not much. But understanding the system and getting the information into the right hands could do more damage.”

“So that’s it,” Erik says in a quiet voice. “You were plotting treason.”

“And killing Spinsters wouldn’t have been that?” Jost asks, responding to the allegation in his brother’s voice.

“Killing the one responsible would be reasonable,” Erik says. “But destroying the system would undermine the peace the Guild has established.”

“Peace?” Jost echoes with a laugh.

I think of the people who have been ripped, the neatly orga- nized proof in storage at the Coventry, the look of defeat on my father’s face as he tried to shove me into the tunnel the night the Guild came to claim me. No part of me wants to laugh.

Jost grabs my arm. “Ask Adelice. Ask her what it’s like to rip someone from Arras. Ask her if it’s peaceful for them.”

I open my mouth to protest being dragged into the middle of this, but Jost doesn’t wait for me to respond to his point.

“Or better yet, ask me, Erik. Ask me what it was like to see it happen.” Jost’s voice drops down and trails off. None of us speak. “I watched it. I saw her slip away piece by piece. I watched as they took her away from me.”

“I’m sorry,” Erik offers. He sounds sincere, but even I know his words are far from enough.

Jost shakes his head slightly as if to clear his thoughts, and looks out into the dark. “Rozenn was better than any of us. You or me. So was our mother.” He pauses. “And my daughter.” Erik’s shock registers like a slap across the face.

“Daughter?” he mouths. No actual sound comes, but the heaviness of the word presses on my chest, and judging from their expressions, they feel it, too.

“You missed out on a lot when you took off.” Jost’s words are dismissive, but he doesn’t look away from Erik.

“You could have telebounded me,” Erik insists. Now he’s the one who sounds accusatory.

“And what?” Jost asks. “You would have come to visit? You didn’t come when Dad got sick or I got married. I knew where we stood with you when you left to serve the Guild. Your family couldn’t help you move forward politically, so we were of no use to you.

“You wouldn’t have cared,” Jost continues. “You were busy cozying up to Maela, following her orders like the perfect Spinster’s errand boy. Just like you’ve been busy weaseling your way into Adelice’s heart.”


...Read more tomorrow over at The Book Cellar!

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Have not heard of Crewel yet? *gasp* Check what you're missing:

Crewel
Gennifer Albin

Series: Crewel World #1
Publication date: October 16th 2012
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls.  Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power.  Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

About the Author

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Gennifer's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

I like coffee. A lot. Writing gives me time to go get a cup without my kids. I like books as much as I like coffee, but it is easier to read with children hanging on you than drink coffee due to the threat of third degree burns. That's why coffee gets top billing in my intro: its unattainability.

I hold a Masters in English with a specialization in 18th century women's studies. While this is a highly marketable area of expertise, I stay home with my kids, which means my 3 year-old son uses correct grammar and doesn't burn down the house.

I have a ridiculously supportive husband who dreams of being included on a book jacket: "The author lives in Kansas with her husband, two children, and a Tuesday cat."

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Altered Chapter One Reveal Tour:

Monday, May 20—Prologue and Part One of Chapter One
Bewitched Bookworms

Tuesday, May 21—Part Two of Chapter One
Cuddlebuggery

Wednesday, May 22—Part Three of Chapter One
Xpresso Reads

Thursday, May 23—Part Four of Chapter One
The Book Cellar

Friday, May 24—Part Five of Chapter One
BookYAReview

Cover Madness Giveaway Hop Sign Up

When Jenni of Alluring Reads and I got together to do a team giveaway we never thought it would get so popular. To this day those giveaways are the ones who have gotten the most entries and pageviews of all the giveaways I've ever posted on this blog. If you're not familiar with the giveaway you can have a look here. Basically what it is, is we find a bunch of fabulously covered upcoming books (we try to find recently revealed covers) and we throw a giveaway for a chance to win a pre-order of one of the pretties! We've done 3 very successful Cover Madnesses so far, and for the 4th we decided to invite you all along as well!


So this is the dealio:

• Sign ups will stay open for 6 weeks, to close on July 1st at 8:00AM EST
• The hop will run for 2 weeks from July 1st to July 14th, 2013
• Your giveaway post must be live by July 1st at 8:00AM EST (you may post up to 24hrs early)
• When your post is live, the linky will be updated with your direct post link.
• Your post must include the linky (or a link to either mine or Jenni's giveaway post where the linky will be located)
• You may handle your giveaway as you wish as far as how you collect entries and choose a winner (you may have more than 1 winner if you wish).

What you give away:

Through Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or any other means, you find your favorite newly covered book(s) to feature in this giveaway. You can pick just 1 book, or you can pick 30 and let the winner choose--that is up to you. The book cover must have been out for no longer than 6 weeks at the start of the giveaway. This means the winner will most likely be winning a pre-order of the book (we recommend using The Book Depository as it's free to ship anywhere, but you can use Amazon or any book seller, or you can wait until the book is released, buy it locally, and ship it to your winner).

Here is an example of how me and Jenni have done it in the past, feel free to follow the same format.

Want to participate in this awesome? Sign up below with your blog name and who your giveaway will be open to (Example: Xpresso Reads (INTL) and an email will be sent a few days ahead as a reminder and with the linky code, etc.

If you have any questions, ask away in the comments!

If you want to post the button on your sidebar to help spread the word you can use the code below:

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.xpressoreads.com/2013/05/cover-madness-giveaway-hop-sign-up.html" title="Xpresso Reads" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF63TwnwhQBUM54O_6_YEM8rpgQFKSSVysSbjowcioRH8e78LHWtBXEnu5eTVBR3E3cX8827rJdPF6W-OJwVgPjqppU8B-PsaMk7_kZtUDsWARltkUPWBGAPbu3k2qT3NiiyRL13TPEUt/s1600/CoverMadnessHopButtonShare2.png" alt="Alluring Reads" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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After you've signed up, Tweet/Facebook about it so more people can join!

Dare You To Tour Stop: Playlist Song, Excerpt + Giveaway

Pushing the Limits was one of my favorite books of last year so I am very excited to be on the tour for its companion sequel, Dare You To. I have a short excerpt for you today with a playlist song, plus a fantastic giveaway for you lovely peeps! Thanks to Kismet Book Touring for organizing this tour!

Dare You To
Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing the Limits #2
Publication date: May 28th 2013
by Harlequin Teen

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

Dare You To Sneak Peek & Playlist Song

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 "Dirt Road Anthem" by Jason Aldean

In the back field that borders three farms, a field party rages without me, Logan, and Chris. Parties are great. They have girls, girls who drink beer, dancing, girls who like dancing, and guys who hate dancing but do it anyway in the hope of laying the girls who drink beer.

Ten minutes into the party, the three of us took on a dare. Actually, I took on a dare. Chris and Logan are along for the ride.

“You can’t pull this one off.” Chris walks beside me as we head toward the cars parked neatly in a line. The full moon gives the field a silver glow and the scent of bonfire smoke hangs in the air.

“That’s because you have no imagination.”

“This is going to be sweet,” Logan says when I head toward a group of defensive linemen enjoying their own private party.

Tim Richardson owns a mammoth-size, ozone-killing truck, which is good, because the four guys sitting on lawn chairs on the back of it easily weigh 275 pounds each. Tim liberates a can of beer from his cooler and tosses it to me. “What’s going on, Ry?”

“Nothing.” I put the cold can on the tailgate. No drinking for me. I’ve got business to take care of…

About the Author

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Katie's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.

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This post is a part of:

Monday, April 29th – Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, April 30th - Harlequin Blog
Wednesday, May 1sh – The Irish Banana 
Thursday, May 2nd – Review - Tyngas Reviews
Friday, May 3rd –   Evie Bookish 

Monday, May 6th -  YA - Bibliophile
Tuesday, May 7th – Review - Real of Fiction
Wednesday, May 8th – Book Swarm 
Thursday, May 9th – Review - Book Nook
Friday, May 10th –  Alice Marvels 

Monday, May 13th -  Xpresso Reads
Tuesday, May 14th – Review - Chapter by Chapter 
Wednesday, May 15th – Book and A Latte 
Thursday, May 16th – Review - Blog Girl 
Friday, May 17th – Supernatural Snark