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Friday 28 February 2014

Blitz Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway - The HeadHunter's Race by Kimberly Afe



About the author Kimberly Afe

Kimberly is the mother of two awesome kids, wife of the nicest man in the world, and her dog's best friend. She works by day and writes middle grade and young adult science fiction and fantasy novels in her spare time. She lives with her family in the beautiful Sonoran Desert.

Author Links:





Excerpt from The Headhunter's Race

This excerpt is from the day the race starts and Avene is getting ready.

Hours later, when the birds start chirping, I know it's almost time to wake up. I get out of bed and change into my special clothes. The ones I've been saving for this day: a sturdy pair of jeans and a man's blue flannel shirt. Underneath I wear my white fitted tee-shirt, depicting a crudely drawn skull. I added the crossbones bearing a set of daggers with a nearly dried-up marker I found a year ago. It represents my mantra for the race: stay away from me or I'll kill you.

I tie my sheath around my thigh, re-lace my boots with longer and sturdier cord I found on a pair of men's boots in the goodie two shoes clothing pile, and then gulp down several handfuls of water. I wipe the droplets from my mouth while I pace like a caged panther. A few minutes later I slug down another five handfuls before I remember to fill my water bottle.

Zita leans up on her elbow. "You're sure you want to do this?"

"I have to, Zita. It's our only way out. The only way we'll be free."

She throws off her cover and leaps to her feet. "Well, we better do something with that hair. They'll start calling the prisoners out soon."

Zita snatches our slop container from the table. She fills it with dirt from the corner and mixes in a bit of water. "I'm not sure how well this will work," she says, stirring it with her finger. "Sit."

I sit on the ground cross-legged at her feet. She kneels beside me, takes a small lock of hair, and rubs mud all through the strands. The stringy tresses stick together, cold and wet against my cheek. After one side of my head is finished, she steps back and surveys her work. "Nope, this isn't working. Your roots are still too light."

"Why don't you wash her whole head in it?" says McCoy.

I stiffen. Leave it to him to think of dunking my whole head in mud.

"You're a genius!" says Zita. She grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. "Help me," she says to McCoy and I cringe at the thought of him touching my head when I'm a direct competitor. He might send his ninja blade across my neck.

He grabs the sink, half full of water, water I need to drink, and dumps three quarters of it into the corner. "Hey, I need to drink that!" I say.

"You can drink ours," says McCoy.

Right. I'm not going to drink theirs. He'd love that. Especially now that he's going to have to hunt on his own and the only way he knows how is by poaching off me.

Zita stops short of pouring in handfuls of dirt. Instead she goes to the fire pit and scoops out gobs of ash. She swishes it around with her fingers, stares at it like she's not satisfied, and goes ahead and dumps in a handful of dirt anyway. "Okay, bend over, girl."

I lean over the sink while Zita pours the murky mixture over my hair and massages it in. It's gritty and gross.

"Hand me that old shirt in the corner," says Zita.

I'm looking upside down at McCoy while he retrieves the old shirt she uses as her dust rag. She wrings out my hair and then places the shirt over top and squeezes out the excess water. "I wish I had a comb," she says, flipping my head up and steering my behind back to the ground.

"It's okay, I can use my fingers," I say.

McCoy dashes into their room. "Boom has one, hold on."

I lean my head back in defeat. He's determined to help me, to make me feel obligated to help him in return, but his niceties aren't going to work on me.



The Headhunter's Race
Series: Headhunters #1
Release date: January 3rd 2014
Publisher: January Sky Publishing

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Sixteen-year-old Avene was sentenced to prison at thirteen for a crime she didn't commit. Now she has a chance to win her freedom back – if she enters the Headhunters Race. Second prize isn't so bad either, an upgrade to the Leisure Prison if you make it to the finish line. To win either prize, Avene and the other prisoners must navigate one hundred and fifty miles of dense forest, desert, and worst of all, cannibal territory.


With a mechanical collar timed to strangle the prisoners if they're not back in nine days, Avene allies herself with seventeen-year-old McCoy, another prisoner that insists on helping her at every turn and a boy she's trying hard not to fall for. Together they battle nature, other prisoners, and the timed death collars to win the coveted prize. But when Avene is tested with one deadly conflict after another, she realizes there is more at stake than winning her freedom – first she has to survive.

Buy Links:




***GIVEAWAY***

5 lucky winners will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

International giveaway.


Blitz Tour Organised By:

Double Cover Reveal: How to Seduce A Band Geek and How to Hook A Bookworm by Cassie Mae


How to Seduce a Band Geek (How To #2)
Release Date: 05/06/14
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:
Sierra Livingston’s got it bad for her sister’s best friend, Levi Mason—the boy who carries his drumsticks in his pocket, marches with the school’s band, and taps his feet to whatever beat runs through his head. Sierra racks her brain for ways to impress the sexy drummer, but the short skirts and bursting cleavage don’t seem to cut it.


When Sierra gets paired with Levi’s sister, Brea, for a mentorship program, they strike a deal. In exchange for Sierra keeping her mouth shut about Brea ditching the program, Brea lets Sierra dig for more info on Levi to help get the guy of her dreams.

But when Sierra discovers Levi no longer plays the drums, his family has moved into a trailer, and he’s traded in his Range Rover for a baby blue moped, Sierra’s not sure if she can go through with violating his privacy. She’ll have to find the courage to ask him straight out—if he’s willing to let her in—and explore other ways to seduce the school’s band geek.





How to Hook a Bookworm (How To #3)
Release Date: TBD
Swoon Romance


Summary from Goodreads:
It’s Brea Mason’s sixteenth birthday, and she has three wishes. 1. Be magically eighteen like the rest of her friends. 2. Grow a money tree for her family whose financial problems are well known about town.  3. Overcome her test anxiety before she flunks out of every class.


But one day later, she's still sixteen, her family's money worries abound, and she's no closer to passing than she was the day before!

Then a very sexy transfer student—with gobs of cash—shows up. Brea figures she has a better chance of burping up glitter than attracting the new guy, but he seems extremely interested in her.


Just when Brea thinks things are looking up, her report card arrives marked with four giant F’s. Enter resident bookworm and Brea's loyal friend, Adam Silver. If he can't help Brea pass, no one can.


Even with Adam's help, Brea can't handle the mounting pressure, and finds an escape with the new student who knows little about her problems. 

But spending oodles of time with her boyfriend strains the friendship with Adam she relies so heavily on. Faced with losing the only real comfort and support she has ever had, Brea starts to wonder if she can hook a bookworm before it's too late.



Link to book one:
(cover linked to Goodreads)


About the author Cassie Mae

Amazon multi-category and international bestselling author of HOW TO DATE A NERD, HOW TO SEDUCE A BAND GEEK and HOW TO HOOK A BOOKWORM

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Cassie Mae is an Amazon.com bestselling author of the teen contemporary romance novel REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND, which she self-published. In addition to publishing with Swoon Romance, she is published by Random House Flirt.

Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png  photo iconpinterest_zps6fcf02a7.png

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Bookvie: The Maze Runner - out September 19, 2014 (USA)

  

Who's in it:
Dylan O'Brien, Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelario

What's it all about (book blurb from Goodreads):
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade-a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

The Maze Runner Official Trailer


Movie Stills:








This is a book I'm currently reading (hectic schedule has kept me from finishing it) and I'm looking forward to watching the movie. Okay, it's mostly because it stars Dylan O'Brien - aka Stiles from Teen Wolf. Honestly, the five chapters I have read has intrigued me and I look forward to finishing the book.

So, have you read the book? What did you think? Will you watch the movie when it comes out?

Thursday 27 February 2014

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop - Book Of Choice or Amazon Gift Card


Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop
Featuring Young Adult Books
February 28th - March 7th

Co-hosted by Jinky Is Reading

Several blogs are taking part, so there's lots of amazing gifts to be won.  Check out the rules of the other blogs. I will choose a winner within 5 days following the end of this contest. I will contact the winner via email. Winner will also be announced on this page.

***Giveaway***

My giveaway is for an ebook copy of one of the YA titles below from Amazon.com or you can choose a YA ebook of your choice (up to $10). Alternatively, you may opt for a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

International Giveaway.

Ends March 7th (midnight GMT).

My YA Book List:

        

        

So there you have my list of YA books. Enter the giveaway and then hop on to the next one.
Thanks and good luck to everyone!


Cover Reveal & Giveaway - Mine to Spell by Janeal Falor

Today we have something different for you.  Instead of just revealing a cover we are asking YOU to help us choose WHICH cover to use!   Mine to Spell by Janeal Falor is the second book in the Mine series. This is a YA fantasy and it is scheduled to release May 5th, 2014.


Do you like cover choice #1:

Or do you like cover choice #2:

Cast your vote here:

Cover #1 or cover #2?
  
pollcode.com free polls 

Be sure to stop by the authors website on March 6th for the final reveal of which cover was chosen!

MINE TO SPELL Description:

Cynthia has always hidden from her father’s hexes behind her older sister. When her family gains independence unheard of for women, she’s relieved that her days of harsh punishments are over. But as her seventeenth birthday approaches—the typical age to be sold to a new master—death threats endanger her sisters. She now faces two options: run or meet society’s expectations.

For once, Cynthia isn’t going to let her older sister shield her from the problem. She’s going to prove to herself, her sisters, and society that her family isn’t a threat to their traditions. She willingly chooses to be purchased by a new master. A bold step that takes her somewhere she never thought she would go and to a man she might possibly fall in love with. With his help, she may just find a way to save her sisters while discovering how to stand up for herself. If she lives long enough.


 

About the author:
Amazon bestselling author Janeal Falor lives in Utah with her husband and three children. In her non-writing time she teaches her kids to make silly faces, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and attempts to cultivate a garden even when half the things she plants die. When it's time for a break she can be found taking a scenic drive with her family or drinking hot chocolate.

Find the author:
Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Goodreads









***Giveaway***

Ten Giveaway Combo Packs: ebooks of YOU ARE MINE and prequel, MINE TO TARNISH

Open INT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Cover Reveal Organised By:

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Character Interview & Giveaway - Fairy, Texas by Margo Bond Collins

Fairy, Texas

Author: Margo Bond Collins
Genre: YA Paranormal Mystery / Romance
Publisher: Solstice Shadows Publishing
Pages: 213
Language: English
Format: eBook and Paperback

Book Blurb:
Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.

Laney Harris didn't want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that "boring" would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class. 

She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.


Buy Links:


About the author Margo Bond Collins

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming in 2014).

She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. 



Author Links:


Character Interview

1. Laney, quick. Describe yourself in seven words or less!

High school student, new girl, freaked out!

2. Tell us something about your current hometown.

I got dragged off to Fairy, Texas when my mother got remarried—to her high school sweetheart, of all people. It’s a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. I can’t believe Mom grew up here.  I live on a ranch. My stepfather hangs dead coyotes on the fence, I now know how to recognize buzzard vomit, and the only place to hang out is the local Sonic. It’s making me crazy! 

3. What's the strangest thing that has ever happened to you?

I saw mostly invisible bat wings on the creepy school counselor. Then I tripped over a dead guy in gym class. Did I mention how much I hate it here? 

4. What's your favourite food?

Spaghetti and meatballs. But my new stepsister Kayla said she hates it, so Mom hasn’t cooked any lately. I don’t believe Kayla, by the way. I think she lied just because she heard me say I liked it.

5. Can you tell us a little about what to expect in Fairy, Texas?

The book starts off with pretty much my worst day ever—tripping over that dead guy is just the beginning! And those bat wings on the creepy counselor? They’re real!

6. Can you tell us something about yourself we don't learn from the book?

My first kiss was with Joey Blaine in the fourth grade behind the jungle gym on the playground. His lips tasted like the cherry lollipop he’d just finished.

7. What is your author Margo Bond Collins like?

She’s kind of quiet until you get to know her—she likes to sit back and watch for a while before jumping into any kind of social situation. But then it’s hard to shut her up! She grew up not far from Fairy, Texas, and after living all over the country, has come back to North Central Texas, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and a bunch of pets.

8. Name five items in your purse or pockets right now.

I’ve got a 35mm camera, my cell phone, some sparkly lip gloss, a $5 bill, and my Fairy High student ID.

9. What were your first impressions of Josh and Mason?

They are both insanely hot. Mason’s a flirt, too. He’s got this amazing smile that lights up the room, and he makes me laugh. Josh is quieter, more serious. His eyes are a beautiful, indefinable color, sort of a blue-green-silver. Neither of them would have given me a second look in my old school in Atlanta. I guess being the new girl does have some benefits.

10. If you had one chance to change anything about your life, what would it be?

I just wish I could have figured everything out before someone got hurt . . . 


Excerpt from Fairy, Texas:


Fairy High could have fit into one wing of my old school. The three-story, red brick building looked like it had been around for at least a century—it actually had carvings over two of the doorways that read “Men’s Entrance” and “Women’s Entrance.” I was glad to see that none of the kids paid any attention to those instructions. 



“Counselor’s office,” I muttered to myself. At least I wasn’t starting in the middle of a term—though given the fact that there were fewer than 500 students in the entire high school, I didn’t think I was going to be able to go unnoticed, even in the general bustle of the first day back from summer vacation.



I walked through the door marked “Men’s Entrance,” just be contrary, and faced a long hallway lined with heavy wooden doors. The spaces in between the doors were filled with lockers and marble staircases with ornate hand-rails flanked each end of the long hallway. Students poured in behind me, calling out greetings to each other and jostling me off to the side while I tried to get my bearings. None of the doors obviously led to a main office; I was going to have to walk the entire length of the hallway. And people were already starting to stare and whisper.

God. I hated being the new kid. 

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. I made it halfway down the hall without seeing anything informative—all the doors had numbers over them and many of them had name plaques, but neither of those things did me any good since I didn’t know the name or office number for the counselor. I was almost getting desperate enough to ask Kayla, but of course she was nowhere to be seen.

I turned back from scanning the halls for her and caught sight of the first adult I’d seen—and almost screamed. As it was, I gasped loudly enough for a guy walking past me to do a double take. The man standing in the open doorway was tall, over six feet, and way skinny—so emaciated that it looked like you ought to be able to see his ribs through his shirt, if his shirt didn’t hang so loosely on him. He had white hair that stuck out in tufts, thin lips, a sharp nose, and pale blue eyes that narrowed as he watched the kids walk past—and all the kids gave him a wide berth without even seeming to notice that they did so. He stood in an empty circle while students streamed around him in the crowded hallway.

But none of that was what made me almost scream.

For a moment, just as I’d turned toward him, I could have sworn that I’d seen the shadow of two huge, black, leathery wings stretched out behind him.



***Giveaway***

One ecopy of Fairy, Texas up for grabs!

Ends March 19th (23:59 p.m. GMT).

International contest.

Author Spotlight - RoseSunshine {Wattpad}

Hurry Up and Save Me
Genre: Teen Fiction / Mystery / Thriller

Wattpad Book Blurb:
Jude Nelson doesn’t exactly has an easy life, but she makes the best of it. Living with her usually absent godmother and taking care of her young sister, Mel, Jude has little time for everything else. 

Suddenly, her life is blown into pieces and it's a race against time for her. If she truly cares for her loved ones, she has to dig deeper into something that is far more shocking than the truth. 

He is waiting in his lair to avenge what cursed his life. To fight him, Jude has to know his game and play the right card... quickly. He is the master, she has to be the challenger.









Excerpt:

“His best bet was his lost insanity.”

He took the dagger and slowly raised it to eye level.

To kill a heart, insanity is the fuel for melting the ice, setting fire to it.

Through the window behind him, one could see the starless sky. The darkness the night emitted looked ominous and daunting.

The air was cold, void of any bearings. The entire mansion stood eerily still, coldness seeping in every brick and niche of it. The only sign of life within those huge walls was that of his breathing. In and out, in and out…

As he saw the sharp edge of the shiny blade, his breathing quickened. Curling his chalky fingers over it, he chanted the words that helped him concentrate. A feeling of joy and happiness washed over him just as the words started taking their effect. Tonight’s task needed his utmost attention, and he didn’t want to have any second thoughts. After tonight he was finally going to get some peace and quiet.

In a fierce motion, he drove the knife over his left wrist. As the dark red blood started pooling out of his veins, he took a deep breath. Inhaling the metallic scent of it, he admired the gash, his masterpiece. Grinning, he dropped the knife on the floor and pressed the wound.

Sacrifice is the first step of Insanity, Revenge being the last.

The stinging that attacked his whole body was much less consuming than the one which had made him loose his sanity years ago. If he was facing a mirror, he was sure he would have seen the fire in his eyes. It was that fire, which had led to the name he bore now, Dragon.  The name itself gave him supreme power.

In his mind, he saw himself rise high, taking a step, after step, and finally reach the gates of heaven to be with her in peace. The beautiful love of my life. He had never wished for materialistic or mental peace, as he had lost faith in miracles a long time ago. Maybe, that was why she had descended in his arms, like an angel. However, she was only that—an angel—a mythical name for fairies. And she had to go away, far away from him.

He massaged his wound, immune to the pain. As seconds turned into minutes, he knew it was time. And right at that moment, the clock chimed loudly, signaling the end of the day. In that gloomy atmosphere, the sound of it that resonated through the walls was more frightening.

For the people whom we love,

They are often no bounds,

For the ones whom we hate,

They are never any ties,

But to humans, whom we avenge,

Insanity, sacrifice and revenge.



Other works by RoseSunshine


Tuesday 25 February 2014

Blog Tour Book Promo & Giveaway - Deuce by Janine Caldwell



About the author Janine Caldwell

Janine Caldwell was born in Concord, CA and raised in the small San Francisco Bay Area town of Clayton. Four days after high school graduation, Janine attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and graduated with a degree in English.

Janine now lives in Anthem, AZ with her husband and two sons. As a lifelong literature fanatic, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would become obsessed with writing her own work. With relatives like the Brothers Grimm and Anita Loos (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), she figured fantasy writing had to be in her DNA.

Books published by Janine include Visited, a YA coming-of-age fantasy, Rematch andDouble Fault–the first two books of The Vortex Series. The final book in this YA fantasy romance, Deuce, will be released soon.

Author Links:

Deuce (Vortex #3)
by Janine Caldwell
Release Date: January 28, 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
The epic conclusion to The Vortex Series coming soon!

In an instant everything changes for seventeen-year-old Cassie Moore. Together she and her time-traveling boyfriend, Trent Astor, battle to survive their next impossible challenge. As they navigate through a third parallel world in which Cassie begged Trent to create for her, the two soon discover that no world can be made perfect.

And while they fight through their new circumstances, the universe may just have its own agenda for them both.

With DEUCE, the 3rd and final book of The Vortex Series, Janine Caldwell combines fantasy and romance to create a compelling love story of integrity and sacrifice.

Buy Links:



Other Books in the Series:




***GIVEAWAY***

10 ebooks of Deuce (via smashwords coupon) (INT)

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS:  
Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond  or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.


Blog Tour Organised By: