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 

Review + Playlist: This Love by Nazarea Andrews

Perfectly timed for summer, the This Love blog tour is dropping by today. This is a great summer romance for New Adult fans. Why don't you have a look at my review, and then you can check out the playlist for the book to put you in the mood! :)

This Love
Nazarea Andrews

Series: University of Branton #1
Genre: NA Contemporary
Publication date: June 25th 2013
by A&A Literary

She wants a summer job and a ride to a wedding.

He wants an assistant and a distraction from the mess his life had become.

They didn't know they needed each other.

Avery Emili needs two grand. Two grand and a plane ticket--her sister is counting on her to get to Jamaica for her wedding. But the semester is over, and tutoring college freshman and high school students has dried up until the fall.

Atticus Grimes needs help--the messy split with his wife left the twenty-eight year old professor scrambling to keep things together as the semester winds down. Now he's got a research grant he has to actually do research for and all he wants to do is drown himself in a tall bottle of bourbon.

When Avery sees his ad for an assistant, all she's thinking is a summer job. But as they spend time together, in the office and out, both of them begin to realize something is there. Something that can't happen--he's a professor and she's a student. And both of them have histories, pasts that won’t let go. Can two broken people pulled apart by expectations find a way to be whole?

-A copy was provided by Nazarea Andrews for review-

A perfect for summer read, This Love is a forbidden love story involving a student and a professor that you know is doomed before it begins, yet you keep hoping, denying the fact that the end of their crazy, sexy summer is coming.

The beginning of this book was a little rough for me and left me uncertain as to if I would enjoy it. The story is told through a dual POV that switches quite often and abruptly which can take a while to get used to. Eventually I did get into the flow of it, though, and stopped even noticing. Another worry was how fast it was going. I don't mean the relationship itself as in insta-love, I mean the timeline passing by. In only the first 15%, weeks have passed while they meet, flirt, tease, make out, insist it can't happen again, fight impulses, make out some more, become text buddies, etc. I felt like all of that was a big blur. Fortunately the book does slow to a steadier pace in the midst of their relationship, letting us savor the best part of their summer - which is also the part that bears the most emotion.

I was surprised by how emotionally connected I became to these characters and their relationship after that speedy start. It first gives the impression that the book stays on the surface of emotional impact with underdeveloped, but fun, characters -- which can be ok for a light summer read. Instead, though, I found myself broken up over this doomed relationship of theirs and reveling in their happy moments. It became an up and down roller coaster ride with just the right amount of heart and tears. Both Avery and Atticus are likeable characters with problems and insecurities that are easy to relate to. The characters could use some tightening up, especially the secondary roles, but as the book focuses on the here and now it's not a big deal that we don't get a full three dimensional look at their individual lives.

Now, let's fixate on Atticus a moment - not hard to do, believe me. This is the kind of love interest I wish all books would aim for, not the pompous jerks we often get. Don't get me wrong, Atticus is not flawless, he's got insecurities and fears of his own, and an ex wife who's a total bag of farts. Most importantly, I love how deeply he cares for everyone in his life: his sister, his best friend, Avery. And how he loves without barriers. Another thing to note is how open they are with each other. They do keep some secrets about their past relationships at first - understandably - but we finally get a couple who communicate instead of assume and overreact. How refreshing! Level headed characters take the win! And just a heads up - this is a New Adult book with a mature, adult relationship, meaning there are (many and hot) graphic sex scenes.

This Love is a sweet, fun, and sexy beach read that I recommend to those who can't get enough of forbidden romances!

4 Hot Espressos

Playlist for This Love, by Nazarea Andrews

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I write to music—a lot of music, and often times, Pandora channels keep me going while I’m drafting. But there are always a handful of songs that really stand out and remind me acutely of the characters and that list becomes my playlist.

Here is the playlist for This Love

Ours--Taylor Swift This is the theme song for the entire book, and where I found the title.

Skyscrapper--Demi loveatto. I loved the beauty and just general feeling of this song—it reminded me of Avery and I spent a lot of time listening to it when writing her point of view.

There Ain't Nothing--Brooks and Dunn.  When I heard this song on my husband’s phone after writing Atticus, I knew it summed up everything he felt for Avery.

Fix a Heart--Demi lovato This is for both Atti and Avery, separately. Both have had their hearts broken, and it definitely speaks to that.

Summer Love-- One Direction As This Love is a summer romance, it should be kinda obvious.

Springsteen--Eric Church It doesn’t speak to any particular scene or person, but it was played often and I loved it while writing.

Nobody Compares--One Direction How Atticus feels about Avery.

Should have Kissed You—Glorianna What Avery/Atticus feel most nights after work.

About the Author

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Nazarea's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog

Hidden by Catherine McKenzie: Meet the Characters!

As part of the Hidden blog tour, today I've got the wonderful Catherine McKenzie dropping by to introduce us to her characters. This books sounds great and the fact that it was blurbed by the author of On The Island intrigues me even further! So let's see what it's all about! :)

Hidden
Catherine McKenzie

Publication date: June 18th 2013
by HarperCollins

When a married man suffers a sudden fatal accident, two women are shattered—his wife and someone else's—and past secrets, desires and regrets are brought to light

While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Not one but two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son and contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members and the arrival of Jeff’s estranged brother—her ex-boyfriend—Tim.

With Tish’s co-workers in the dark about her connection to Jeff outside the workplace, she volunteers to attend the funeral on the company’s behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff’s life. Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, our personal choices and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.

Guest Post by Catherine McKenzie

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Character Profiles

There are three main characters is HIDDEN.

                                                           Jeff               

Jeff is 39, married, the father of a twelve-year-old boy named Seth. He loves golf and numbers and his hometown, Springfield. Wait, that sounds boring. He's not boring. He's smart and funny and caring, but he's not perfect. He loves his wife and kid. He also loves Han Solo. And maybe (you'll have to read to find out) his co-worker, Tish. Ideal casting choice (these are always so hard!): Clive Owen, because he's, you know, Clive Owen, and if he was cast, maybe I'd get to meet him.

                Claire                                                   

Claire is 40, married to Jeff, the mother of Seth. She used to be a lawyer but now she runs a daycare.
She loves music and is a dedicated piano player. She is warm and kind and very close with her sister, Beth. She loves Jeff, but she has some unresolved issues in her past love live because she, wait for it, used to date Jeff's brother. Oh, yeah. There's drama here. Ideal casting choice (seriously, really hard): Jennifer Connelly.

                                                        Tish               

Tish is 39, married, the mother of an eleven-year-old child prodigy, Zoey. She's a little bit lost in life. She's naturally good at things, golf, writing, but she doesn't have the drive (pun intended) to make anything of herself. Not that she's sure she wants to make anything of herself. She hates her job, but ever since she met Jeff, it's been bearable. She knows something's missing in her life and she's trying to figure out what. Ideal casting choice: Rachel Weisz.

About the Author

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Catherine's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University and McGill Law School, Catherine practices law in Montreal. An avid runner and skier, she's the author of the international bestsellers SPIN, ARRANGED and FORGOTTEN. Her fourth novel, HIDDEN, will be published in June, 2013

This post is part of the Hidden Canadian blog tour:

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 

In Darkess We Must Abide: Guest Post + Giveaway

Definitely not a new face on this blog of mine; Rhiannon Frater is here today to talk to us about her new serial--In Darkness We Must Abide. This is a new adult modern Gothic horror serial divided in 3 seasons. The first season includes 5 episodes which you can all enter to win today! :) The 5th episode comes out on May 17th, and the paperback of the full first season comes out on May 24th. (Sorry if this is confusing, she likes to make our lives miserable.)

In Darkness We Must Abide
Rhiannon Frater

Series: In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season
Genre: NA Modern Gothic Horror
Publication date:  May 24th 2013

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

This paperback includes all five episodes of the first season of the serial.

The first episode if currently FREE on Amazon (US), Kobo, and iTunes!

Guest Post, by Rhiannon Frater

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What Is a Serial and Why Am I Writing It?
(the answer is not ‘to make Giselle crazy’)

I've been toying with the idea of doing a serial for some time now. Serials actually used to be a quite popular form of reading entertainment in days past. It was rather like watching episodic television. The story was ongoing and the author would release new installments on a regular schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). Each new part of the story continued the main storyline, while providing plenty of thrills and chills within the installment. I really love the richness of a continuing storyline on shows like Breaking Bad, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter, and Spartacus, and always wanted the challenge of writing something on par with my favorite series.

After reading an article posted by author Susan Kaye Quinn about converting a full length manuscript into a serial, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to serialize something I've already written.

A very long time ago I wrote a modern gothic vampire epic entitled In Darkness We Must Abide.  I loved the story (and still do), but it was very lengthy, well over acceptable word count limits. At that time publishing houses weren’t inclined to buy trilogies or series, and I had no idea how to trim the epic down to an acceptable length. Plus, I lived in the middle of nowhere Texas and had no clue how to actually submit my work properly to the publishing houses (this is back in the late 80’s). I ended up tossing the whole thing in the trunk.

Inspired by the article, I went back to the story (which I had converted to a Word doc about a decade ago), looked it over, and realized that with some revision, the story would make a great serial. I was even surprised out how episodic it already was when I read through it. I immediately knew which sections would be sliced up into episodes and what I needed to do to make them richer and fuller for the enjoyment of my readers.

In Darkness We Must Abide is a massive epic with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, blood, gore, unrequited love, a charismatic lead, a smoldering love interest, and a terrifying bad guy.

Since I dove back into the dark world of In Darkness We Must Abide, I have fallen in love once more with my human heroine, Vanora, and the complex world she inhabits. Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, when she’s just a little girl her much older brother and guardian accidently unleashes an evil that changes her world forever. Growing up human with vampire siblings watching over her, Vanora lives in a twilight world and is continuously torn between the world of the vampires and the mortal world. It’s not until she’s a young woman in her late teens that the complexity of her situation comes crashing down when she falls in love with the mysterious vampire, Armando DeLeon. Soon the true evil that inhabits the darkness begins to erode her faith in what she believes to be true about herself, her siblings, the vampires, and Armando.

The first episode, Death Comes Home, has had over 2,500 downloads since its release in March. It’s free on Kindle, Kobo, and itunes. All the following episodes are .99.  The installments are between 10,000 to 30,000 words each.

On May 17th, the episode five, the season finale, will be released in all ebook formats. On May 24th, the entire first season will be released as a paperback. Season 2 begins in June 2013.

About the Author

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Rhiannon's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

Did you want to take part in the blook blitz and/or review In Darkness We Must Abide?

Click on the banner to sign up!

If I Should Die Tour Stop: Guest Post + Giveaway

Being a fan of this series I'm excited to have the If I Should Die blog tour drop by the blog today. We've got a fun Video-filled guest post featuring Kate's (the MC) favorite fight scenes, and a fab giveaway!

If I Should Die
Amy Plum

Series: Revenants, #3
Publication date: May 7th 2013
by Harper Teen

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?

Kate's 5 Favorite Fight Scenes

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Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: the scene where Black Mamba fights the Crazy 88

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: the scene where Ziyi fights Michelle
(could not embed the video for this one it wasn't available in my country)

Princess Bride: the fight between Inigo Montoya and the Dread Pirate Roberts

Matrix: The Lobby Scene

Return of the King: Eowyn vs the Nazgul with one of my FAVORITE LINES EVER!!! (Guess which!)

About the Author

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Amy's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Amy Plum is the author of the International Bestseller DIE FOR ME, which is an Indie Next List pick, Romance Times top pick, and recipient of a starred review from School Library Journal. DIE FOR ME is the first novel in a YA trilogy set in Paris. Book 2 in the series, UNTIL I DIE, releases in May 2012. Amy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama before venturing further afield to Chicago, Paris, London and New York. An art historian by training, she can be found on most days either daydreaming or writing (or both) in a Parisian café.

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This post is a part of:

Click on banner for tour schedule!

Vengeance Bound Tour Stop: Guest Post + Giveaway

Today I've got the Vengeance Bound blog tour dropping by Xpresso Reads! I've got a guest post by Justina, as well as a fab giveaway! Thanks to AToMR Tours for having me on this tour!

Vengeance Bound
Justina Ireland

Publication date: April 2nd 2013
by Simon & Schuster BFYR

The Goddess Test meets Dexter in an edgy, compelling debut about one teen’s quest for revenge… no matter how far it takes her.

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

The Paranormal in Vengeance Bound, by Justina Ireland

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So, writing about the paranormal aspect is kind of hard for me.  Quite a few folks have asked me where I came up with using the Furies in the way I did, and the short answer is “Because I solve plot problems by throwing in something ridiculous.”  

The long answer?  I find writing books without magic to be incredibly boring.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love reading contemporary, especially contemporary YA.  But I cannot write it.  It’s boring.  I find my characters moving from place to place, doing mundane things like buying groceries and having conversations about the weather.  And every time I think to myself that I need to spice things up, well, that’s when things like chimaeras show up.

But that’s another book.  This post is about Vengeance Bound.

I settled on using the Furies because I needed a vehicle for Amelie to exact her Justice.  She’s an angry girl, and with good reason.  She’s had a lot thrown at her, a lot of pain and a lot of loss.  At first I thought to make her a Harpy, but that didn’t jive with her personality (although I do have a Harpy character in my arsenal.  Again, another book).

But the Furies? They worked perfectly.  I tweaked their back story a little to fit the needs of my story (my Furies are evolved from a serpent and a hawk, and they only prey on men), but otherwise, they are very nearly the same creatures that populate Greek mythology.  By placing them in Amelie’s head I was able to create this back and forth that really propels the plot forward.

And that is always a good thing.

About the Author

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Justina's Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, and dog in Pennsylvania. Vengeance Bound is her first novel.

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This post is a part of:

Click on banner for tour schedule!

If You Find Me Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Today I'm excited to have the If You Find Me blog tour drop by--a book I absolutely loved! (find my review here). I have Emily here today with a great guest post and you can enter to win this fantastic pretty! Thanks to Wendy at The Midnight Garden for having me on this tour!

If You Find Me
Emily Murdoch

Publication date: March 26th 2013
by St. Martin's Griffin

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Guest Post by Emily Murdoch

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To The Books (and Authors) Who Raised Me Up 

I get a panicky feeling at the thought of where I’d be without books. Over a lifetime, my love for books and reading grew from ember to flame to wildfire, and the fiery love continues to burn to this day.
Books save. Yes, I’m a writer, and I know how dramatic that sounds. But I mean it literally. And I want to use this post as a way to give thanks to a handful of the books that impacted my life.
Are you there, Judy? It’s me, Emily.

Judy Blume – Ah, where to start? All. The. Books. You were the best friend, the hip, cool Auntie, the good mother. The honest one. At a time in society when people didn’t talk about so many things, you did. You pointed out the naked emperors. You guided girls back to their bread crumb trails and out of the woods into themselves. You broke it to the world that children should be seen AND heard.
I owned all of your books. I used to rake leaves and fetch neighbors’ mail and whatever else I could do to earn money to buy your books.
Thank you for being the writer you are in this world.

 Anne Sexton – One of my favorite poets, for your confessional style. You opened Pandora’s Box. Your mind was flashbulb bright, your words brilliant. I pored over your poetry, which awoke something winged inside of me.
Laughter may be the best medicine, but so is art, and you knew that.

Second Star To The Right by Deborah Hautzig
There is Vivaldi in If You Find Me, and it’s a smiling thank you in your direction. A thank you, not only for turning readers on to Vivaldi, but most importantly, a thank you for your book, published when eating disorder fiction was scarce. And not just your book, but the depth and honesty of your writing – you blazed trails. You offered a voice for the voiceless suffering from anorexia. You used your talent to change a corner of the world.

 

Wasted by Marya Hornbacher

Wow, did you go there. Your 90s, in your face style shook things up. When I was your age and starving myself, all we had was Karen Carpenter’s death and a world puzzled by this new malady.
With this blog tour, I know what it’s like to break silence and speak out, in an effort to use ones voice for the good of others. You gave so many lost people courage and, most of all, the truth in all its majestic grittiness. The truth really does set us free.

Hunger Strike* by Susie Orbach

You get it! A professional who gets it! The earth shook beneath my feet, it was that much of a moment, for me.
I can’t thank you enough. You and your book were another link in the chain of eating disorder survival, and part of my own writing process, in the sense of matching language to the thought processes that were pretty much pre-language and, at that time, just beginning to become a conversation in the arena of public consciousness.

Solitaire by Amy Liu
As a teen, I used to sneak between the stacks, heart hammering in case anyone saw me, hunting down the one or two eating disorder books in existence, if the library even stocked them.
The first book I ever found was Solitaire, and it gave me so much hope. THANK YOU. If I could fly a thank you banner through the sky, I would. A seed of life grows inside us, when we find out we’re not alone.
I just bought Ms. Liu’s recent book, Gaining: the truth about life after eating disorders

I look forward to reading it as soon as I get a chance. It’s very important to show the other side: recovery.

The Forest For The Trees by Betsy Lerner
Words don’t exist for how much I love this book. I read it before I even began what I call the beginning of my publishing journey, Query Road, and as a writer, it was a friendly Mr. Tumnus sort of guide that provided both the street lights along the way and the encouragement every aspiring author needs.

And there you have it. Perhaps, like Carey, I wear my own “pee” coat, worried about how to answer the question: what books are your favorites, and who are your favorite authors?
Those are some above, and I’m forever grateful to these brave, shining, generous human beings.
 Growing up, I read to stay alive, to find my way, to find the light. And if any of my books can do that for someone else? For the children, most of all?
<3 br="">What books changed your life? Saved your life? Brightened-opened-enhanced your life? Please join us in the comments with a book or author and let’s give them a proper tribute!
*Author’s Note: I did not steal this library book! I bought it at the English Town Auction in English Town, NJ, for the ridiculously low price of $1.25.

About the Author

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Emily's Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Emily is a writer, a poet, and a lover of books. There's never a time she's without a book. Her debut novel, If You Find Me, will be available from St. Martin's on March 26, 2013 and from Orion/Indigo UK on May 2, 2013.

When she's not reading or writing, you'll find her caring for her horses, dogs and family on a ranch in rural Arizona, where the desert's tranquil beauty and rich wildlife often enter into her poetry and writing.

If You Find Me Blog Tour

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This post is a part of:

Tour Schedule:

3/18 The Midnight Garden
3/19 Alluring Reads
3/20 Live to Read
3/21 YA Romantics
3/22 Winterhaven Books
3/23 Once Upon a Prologue
3/24 Hobbitses
3/25 ExLibris Kate
3/26 Xpresso Reads
3/27 Bookish
3/28 Great Imaginations
3/29 Good Books and Good Wine