Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt

It's Time to play! Who's read for the Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt!

The Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt will run from TODAY until midnight on SUNDAY (19th July). To enter to win FORTY signed paperbacks by a wide range of authors PLUS $30 worth of Amazon Gift Cards, simply hop around ALL participating stops, collect all of the highlighted numbers, add them together, and then go enter the requested details along with your calculated answer in the ENTRY FORM. You can find more information on how the stop works HERE. All stops will direct you to the next place to hop across to. And don’t worry if you get lost, because the entire list of participating authors can be found HERE.

Top 5 Summer Reads (according to me)

Sign of the Throne by Melissa Eskue Ousley. 

Winner of a 2014 Eric Hoffer Award

Abby is haunted by dreams of an ivory castle, blood-thirsty monsters, and a striking stranger. Working as the babysitter for a family of mythology lovers in wealthy Newcastle Beach, she struggles to define herself among the elite class while trying to make sense of her strange visions. Upon meeting David, the doppelgänger of the mysterious young man in her dreams, Abby's life changes forever.

The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker

Cherry blossom lipstick: check

Smokey eyes: check

Skinny jeans: check

Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She's been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see's the ghost of her foster sister... 

Arcadia's Curse by Jesi Lea Ryan

Most people who experience death don’t live to tell about it. 

When sixteen year old Arcadia “Cady” Day wakes in a hospital after experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, she finds her family in tatters. With her twin sister gone, her dad moved out, her mom’s spiraling depression and her sister’s boyfriend, Cane, barely able to look at her, the only bright spot in her life is Bryan Sullivan, the new guy in school. When Bryan’s around, Cady can almost pretend she’s a regular girl, living a regular life; when he’s not, she’s wracked with wild, inexplicable mood swings. As her home life crumbles and her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first psychic episode was just the beginning…

Eolyn by Karin Rita Gastriech

Lands Ravaged. Dreams destroyed. Demons set loose upon the earth.

War strikes at the heart of women’s magic in Moisehén. Eolyn’s fledgling community of magas is destroyed; its members killed, captured or scattered. 

Devastated yet undaunted, Eolyn seeks to escape the occupied province and deliver to King Akmael a weapon that might secure their victory. But even a High Maga cannot survive this enemy alone. Aided by the enigmatic Mage Corey, Eolyn battles the darkest forces of the Underworld, only to discover she is a mere path to the magic that most ignites their hunger.

What can stop this tide of terror and vengeance? The answer lies in Eolyn’s forgotten love, and in its power to engender seeds of renewed hope.

The Awakener by Amanda Strong

Seeing Micah for the first time in years, Eden wants nothing more than to run and hide. Tall and handsome, Micah is no longer the scrawny kid she remembers. Eden tries to slip by him unnoticed but unfortunately, her body acts on its own accord. In a moment of sheer embarrassment, she throws her arms around his neck, unaware she's just changed her childhood friend forever. 

With angels and demons fighting around them in a battle that began long ago in the ancient City of Enoch, both Eden and Micah must find their own personal courage in order to triumph. ... For if they fail, they could lose everyone they love.

And... just because, here's one more :) 

Curiosity Killed the Crow by Gail Wagner

When Avalon Gregory left for a summer archaeology program, she got more history than she bargained for.  After an unfortunate accident she is thrust into an ancient battle.  Surrounded by enemies, human and non, she must finish what was started almost a millennium ago or die trying.

Giveaway #2

Courtesy of the lovely Autumn Kalquist!

Autmun is offering up an eBook copy of her novel, LEGACY CODE!

Enter to win on the Rafflecopter Widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's My Number? 

All the scavenger hunt stops are assigned a number, and you need all the numbers to enter the giveaway. Don't forget to add this one! 

12

Where do you go next? 

Next stop is the blog of...

Aimee Laine

Or, if you have all of your numbers and are ready to enter, then hop across to the Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt Entry Form.

Meet My Character Blog Hop: Leila Sparro

It's a double dose of Blog Hops today! Mainly that's because I scheduled my earlier hop post on the wrong date, but that's okay... I think :/ 

Anyhow, the fabulously talented Karin Rita Gastreich tagged me for the Meet My Character Blog Hop and I'm excited to participate. 

For any of you who don't know Karin, her fantasy novels are absolutely amazing. I'm very picky about fantasy, and I don't try new authors very often, but you can't go wrong with the Eolyn Chronicles. You won't regret grabbing a copy of her books. 

Stop by Karin's blog to find out more about her books!

Now it's my turn. Let's find out more about Leila Sparro from Date Shark!

1. What is the name of my main character? Is he/she fictional or historical?

Leila Sparro is fictional, but she adores old film stars like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Her frequently pessimistic attitude about life in general might make you think she wouldn't like movies like Holiday Inn or My Fair Lady, but she'll watch the classics over anything modern any day of the week. 

2. When and where is the story set?

Date Shark is set in modern day Chicago. Leila is fairly new to the area and still trying to navigate her way around the city. Luckily, she makes a few friends who are determined to help her explore a little more. 

3. What should we know about her?

Leila is smart and creative, but she has a hard time seeing her full potential. She knows she has a few talents, but stepping outside of what she knows she can do well isn't something she's comfortable with. Soon, she won't have a much of a choice, though. 

4. What is the personal goal of the character?

When Leila calls in Date Shark, Eli Walsh, her goal is to figure out what she's doing wrong when it comes to dating, but soon she realizes her goals are much deeper than that. Discovering what it means to truly love someone, to take a leap of faith and risk being hurt, becomes the real question. 

5. What is the main source of conflict, what messes up her life?

Hiring a dating coach is one thing, finding herself falling for him is something else entirely. Especially when Leila begins dating Luke, thanks to Eli's great coaching. Luke is wonderful and pushes her to explore life and not be afraid, but Eli could be everything she's always wanted. If she makes the wrong choice, it could mean losing them both forever. 

6. Is there a working title of this story and can we read more about it?

The final title is Date Shark, and it's the first book in this series. Book 2 is still untitled, but you can find out more about the series on my blog page. 

7. When can we expect the book to be published?

Date Shark will actually be available in paperback and ebook May 13th, 2014 from Limitless Publishing. I'm excited and super nervous for this release. It's my first book for grown ups!

Now, what fabulous authors should you check out next? 

Sherry Ficklin

Lauren Taylor

KF Finn

Sucker Literary Magazine Blog Hop

I'm up on the Sucker Literary Blog hop!

I was tagged by the wonderfully talented Jesi Lea Ryan. I won a copy of Jesi's YA paranormal novel, Arcadia's Gift a while back and we became fast friends! I can't recommend her work enough, so here's where you can find it... 

Check out Jesi Lea's blog hop post!

So, here are my answers to the Blog Hop questions about one of my many WIPs

1) What am I working on?

Let me pick from the list of various books I'm currently working on... How about Date Shark #2? Maybe that's a bad choice since it doesn't have a title yet, but oh well. Book 1 in the series will be released later this month on Ma 13th, but I'm already busy planning out the second book, in which readers will step away from Eli and Leila's story and get a look at the world of Guy Saint Laurent. BTW, his name is pronounced "Gee." It's French and he gets really annoyed when people don't get it right. 

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

New Adult is a fast growing genre, but there seems to be a few misconceptions about the definition of the genre. NA does not mean explicit content in and of itself. Many NA books do have adult content, making them 18+, but not all of them. Mine included. As many of my YA fans know, it don't write about sex and my characters rarely use bad language. My Date Shark characters do fall int he NA range, but the focus is on their personal struggles, not what goes on in their bedrooms. 

3) Why do I write what I do?

I'll admit that I'm nervous to switch genres and start writing for adults. That doesn't mean I'm abandoning my YA readers, of course, but I wanted to make the switch because I think good clean romances have a place in the market. Personally, I don't like that hitting a certain age as a reader means you have to trade sweet romance for ones filled with explicit content. I think that's why so many adults still read YA, because they don't want all of that. My teenage nieces read a lot of my books. Eventually they won't be teens anymore, but I still want to be able to give them books I feel comfortable having them read. 

4) How does my writing process work?

My writing process has changed drastically over the last few years. I used to be a pantser through and through, but I don't have time anymore to rewrite huge sections after writing myself into a hole, or change my mind about a story aspect in book 3 and go back and redo sections to accommodate that. I still don't love outlining, but it's become necessary for me to at get a basic outline down on paper before I start writing so I don't waste time. I'm still happy to let my character take the lead and make changes when necessary, but it helps to know their end goal before I let them take the reins. 

So, who's next? Check out these awesome authors next!

Gail Wagner

Amanda Strong

Melissa Cunningham

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

As a part of the 4th Annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer, I'm giving away a signed paperback copy of my new book, Wicked Hunger, along with a great prize pack of swag! 

Enter to win below on the Rafflecopter, then stop by the other blogs on the Linky list for chances to win other great prizes!

Wicked Hunger

Book One in the 

SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes Series

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. 

Vanessa’s instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy’s appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy’s secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. 

One of them is right about Ivy … but if they lose control of their hunger, it won’t matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they’ll all be dead.

Wicked Hunger 

is available now from: 

·         Amazon Kindle US

·         Amazon Paperback US

·         Amazon Kindle UK

·         Amazon Paperback UK

·         B&N

·         Kobo

·         Goodreads

Enter to win a signed copy below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader and Book Hounds, I am giving away a Kindle copy of George Orwell's 1984. 

Out of all the banned and challenged books, I chose 1984 for the giveaway because it was the first classic I read as a teen that really shocked me and made me think about how different life could be and what living in such a society could do to a person. 

So...what is banned books week? 

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." 

Find out more at http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Summer Giveaway Hop Hosted by I Am A Reader and Book Hounds. 

Even though summer is winding down, there's always time for a few more books! As a part of the hop, I'm giving away a signed paperback copy of my new book, Wicked Hunger, the first book in the SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes series. 

Tucked inside the book will be a ribbon bookmark made just for the series and a Signed bookmark!

Here's a little more about Wicked Hunger to get you excited!

Wicked Hunger

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. 

Vanessa’s instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy’s appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy’s secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. 

One of them is right about Ivy … but if they lose control of their hunger, it won’t matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they’ll all be dead.

Wicked Hunger is available now from: 

·        Amazon Kindle US

·        Amazon Paperback US

·        Amazon Kindle UK

·        Amazon Paperback UK

·        B&N

·        Kobo

·        Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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