Monday, December 31, 2012

Writing YA Books. guest Post by Monique Morgan.


I'm a huge fan of YA so yes! Monique Morgan: I want to know what you think about Writing YA books.
I hope you like this guest post and check her amazing books!




Writing YA Books by Monique Morgan



Writing YA books is a wonderful experience. I think that the age group has a certain magic that’s attached to it, a time where everything is new and exciting. Writing about characters that are in this age group is thrilling, everything is heightened when it happens for the first time.

Writing YA also means sticking to a certain recipe, although it’s somewhat loosely defined. I think most authors have their own set of guidelines that they follow when deciding what is appropriate for YA books. 

But just like anything else, sometimes guidelines are subjective. Different genres sometime call for more questionable inclusions, such as excessive swearing or sexual behavior. I guess, the guidelines are better defined by the story itself, than any rules.

But no matter the age, a captivating story calls to every heart.




About the Author:

Monique Morgan lives in Utah with her husband and her three children. She writes Action Adventure YA with a sprinkle of "whatever". Her books cross the genres between Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy, with one main element, a main character who kicks butt in any situation.

Author Website / Facebook / Twitter

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Destined: This or That and Giveaway!



Today is my day to introduce you to "Destined" the third book in the Desolation series by Ali Cross.
I hope you take a look at it and enjoy it this beautiful cover. You'll find a "This or That" with Ali that was really fun to do and at the bottom you'll find a "Tour- Wide" giveaway :)



DESTINED (Desolation #3) 





Book Blurb: 


Choosing is a bad idea, because Desi always makes the wrong choice, and sometimes there are no do-overs. Certainly not this time, when all has been lost and Desi can’t even save herself, let alone her friends. For Desi, the hardest thing is letting someone help her, to accept their sacrifice on her\behalf. But that’s exactly what she’ll have to do in order to save the worlds from Helena’s destruction.

The goddess of Helheimer, long imprisoned by Desi’s father, Loki, is free at last, and she’s bent on reclaiming what once was hers. The nine worlds will be drawn into war, over Hell, over Earth, with innocent humans as meaningless collateral.

While Michael and the Gardians of Asgard, along with the golden-armored Valkyrie, lead the battle for freedom, it’s Desi who holds the destiny of all the worlds in her hands. 

Can she set aside her doubts, once and for all, and claim the gifts that are hers to bear? Can she accept the sacrifice that is made for her and Become all that she was created to be?

Her final choice will define not only her future, but the fate of humankind, forever more.







Author Bio: 


Ali Cross is the sensei of the writer's dojo where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles. Ali is the author of the Desolation series, a young adult paranormal romance about the kick-butt devil’s daughter and her search for a destiny of her own choosing.







THIS OR THAT: ALI CROSS.




TV or books? Um, both? I love to read, but I also love TV and movies!


Stand alone or series? I love them both! If a book is awesome, I’m super happy there’s a series. And I love to read contemporary sometimes and they’re almost always stand-alones, so . . .



Paperback or ebooks? LOL, I’m not very good at this game because my answer’s always BOTH! Though, I have to say I’m enjoying ebooks more and more lately. They’re convenient and it’s easy to carry around the reader. Plus, if I have to drop my book super fast it remembers my spot instead of me losing my bookmark and then trying to figure out where I was.

Asian food or Mexican? Yay! I can finally choose one: I love Asian food. I like Mexican, too, but I haven’t had it too often so I don’t feel as confident ordering it or knowing what I like.


Sodas or juices? I love water best of all, but I probably prefer pop over juice.


Healthy diet or junk food? Aw, I’d love to say healthy diet, but we’ve pretty junky of late. 


Ice cream or chocolate? Chocolate!


Great cook or delivery fan? I’m a decent recipe-follower. The problem is, my family never appreciates my efforts. We eat out about 3 days a week though, lol.


Animals or plants? Animals! I like plants, but I LOVE animals.


Cats or dogs? BOTH!


Mountain or beach? See? BOTH, again.


Winter or summer? Summer.


Black or white? Both?


Night owl or early bird? Neither! But maybe more bird than owl. ;)


Vampires or werewolves? Hmm. Vampires, I think. Unless we’re talking Jacob, then werewolves.


Angels or demons? Ha! Have you read my book? Angels (with a splash of demon). 


Elegance or comfort? Comfort all the way!


Sporty or a little lazy? LOL Both? I love the martial arts, love horseback riding, love hiking. But I have fibromyalgia which has made me lazier than I’d like.


Coffee... black or with milk? No coffee please, but I’ll take a hot chocolate with a candy cane!




 
Thanks Rhomy! That was fun J



GIVEAWAY!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Promo Stop: The Hallowed Ones.




THE HALLOWED ONES
Laura Bickle

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (September 25, 2012)





Synopsis:

If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?
In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror…
Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.
Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?


Advance Praise for THE HALLOWED ONES

"This is a book to make you fear the shadows--a horrifying and gruesome tale of faith, and things that blink red eyes in the night. I began reading in the daylight, and read on into the late hours, leaning close, biting my lip. I could not look away; I was ob-sessed. Katie is an unbreakable soul."
--Lauren DeStefano, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the Chemical Garden Trilogy








About the Author

Laura Bickle's professional background is in criminal justice and library science. When she's not patrolling the stacks at the public library, she can be found reaming up stories about the monsters under the stairs. She has written several contemporary fantasy novels for adults, and THE HALLOWED ONES is her first young adult novel. Laura lives in Ohio with her husband and five mostly-reformed feral cats. For more about Laura, please visit her website at: www.laurabickle.com




Friday, December 28, 2012

Feature and Follow!




1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers

3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed

6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers

8. If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!


Q: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

A: I would have to say either "The Picture of Dorian Grey" or "The Vampire Lestat" by Anne Rice, but this is definitely a hard question!



This is a Blog Hop!

Cover Reveal: Sworn to Raise




Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun (Courtlight #1)

 Publication date: March 15th, 2013



Cover designed by Kalen O'Donnell Cover Designs 

 SYNOPSIS:

Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the  kingdom. But beneath her kingdom’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond  initiations.

Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron.

But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.

This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with remarkable characters and unforgettable magic. Sworn To Raise is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Michelle Sagara, and Maria Snyder.


                                                 

Giveaway

The author is offering a 60$ Amazon Gift Card giveaway and it ends on 12/31/2012

Terah Edun:
Terah Edun is an international development professional and author/lover of all things Young Adult Fantasy fiction. She is a native Georgian, adoptive Washingtonian, unrepentant expat currently living in South Sudan, brilliant dreamer, lover of dogs and not-so-closet geek. Her first novel, Red Madrassa, was released on November 8th and her second novel, Sworn to Raise, comes out in March 2013.


Author Links


Thursday, December 27, 2012

Awesome Bloggers Needed!

Hey amazing followers!


Today I'm writing to ask you some sort of favor.
As you already know, I began this blogging thing just a couple of months ago but I'm totally happy I did because I love it and also discovered awesome people in the way that are making this journey incredible and fun.



At the moment I'm also in a new quest. Book tours! yay!

About a month ago I got an email from MK McClintock, the current owner of Black Lion book Tours, stating she was closing the company due to lack of time and I offer to help her. As that was still impossible for her, she decided to handle the company to me and my dear friend Lau.




So here is the thing: I NEED GREAT AND ENTHUSIASTIC BLOGGERS to join us!!!

If you are interested sign up HERE.

Right now I'm organizing my first tour, so any help would be absolutely welcomed! 

If you want to participate in the current tour, you have the info and sign up form HERE

In a near future, we are going to focus more in YA and NA books, so if that's what you like, don't hesitate to  join! You won't be disappointed! 

Thank you all in advance!

Happy New Year!!!


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Review and Guest Post: His Black Wings





His Black Wings by Astrid Yrigollen.
Date PublishedNovember 20th, 2012







PLEASE READ MY REVIEW BEFORE THE BLURB, AS I SAY THERE THE BLURB HAS SPOILERS (IMO!)





MY THOUGHTS:





Wow! OMG! *Swoon* *Sigh* *Woot Woot* *lalalalalala*
All of that together happened while reading this book!!!



I am totally mesmerized! 

This is one of those moments when you are glad you didn't succumb to your preconceptions. Why? When I first got the invitation for touring this book, I didn't even pay attention to it and disregarded it instantly. I don't like anime things and didn't even read the blurb after not liking the cover.(I was judgemental but don't be judgy with me please for disliking the cover lol I like what I like XD)The second time I got the invitation I decided to give it a shot and jumped into it (again without reading the blurb) and the result was utterly unexpected and now I can assure you I am completely pleased!



I am so happy though that I didn't read the blurb... I read it after finishing the book and I think it spoils half of the story.
Besides, I loved getting into the story without knowing what to expect. 
Yes, yes, the title is "His Black Wings" so I knew "he" had black wings but that's all. I didn't know if he was a demon, an angel, a vampire or else. 
(I won't tell don't worry)

It is a post apocalyptic story that mixes futuristic elements with Victorian ones, that has a sweet paranormal romance. It is full of intrigues and secrets.

The story starts with Claren's parent's demise. 
After an unfortunate event, she needs to flee town. With her amazing dog Naza she moves from town to town until she finds a job advertisement that fits her.
She then moves in with her new and enigmatic boss: Fredrick Brighton. He is beyond kind to her but there is something he is not telling...
 After a murder in town they need to move again and that's when the real story begins. 


The characters are amazing. Claren is caring, shy but also brave and smart. Fredrick is so mysterious, I was charmed by him since the start, it's the kind of man you know is hiding a secret behind his money and power but you can't avoid feeling his magnetism.
Etrigan... he is a loner, he seems hard and a little savage but is wonderful how he unravels and present himself to the world and you see him change.
Kurten ...he is a SOB! (sorry!) Psycho! 
We also have Horace, Mrs Witsby and Dekker are so fun and charming supporting characters.

This book gathers romance, a clever and superb plot, incredibly developed characters with a perfectly achieved depth.
The story is original in every angle and the writing style left me marvelled. 

The love story is full of tenderness and I loved how it unfolded, slow but I totally felt what the characters felt. 

If I have to describe this book in one word, it would be: AMAZING!

I love the end too and I am hoping there is a sequel. I want to know more of these characters.






Synopsis: 


Claren Maidstone has been forced to flee her childhood home after the death of her parents and a vicious assault from a sadistic young man who intends to marry her. Claren changes her identity and finds employment as an assistant to the handsome Fredrick Lowood, a generous yet mysterious benefactor. However, she soon finds out his generosity comes at a price. 

Fredrick Lowood knows what the history books do not teach, that the Grand Council built this new world of peace and beauty on hidden blood and greed. He has plotted for years to bring down the family that enslaved his own people. 

Etrigan Lowood rejects the world that forces him to hide. He is powerful, plagued with a terrible dark beauty: WINGS. It is these wings that carry him out only at night to watch the unwanted intruder in his home. A creature of refined instinct yet little social grace, he is strangely captivated by Claren but knows nothing of how her family’s dark past is intertwined with his own. Through their blossoming friendship, Etrigan realizes he still retains his human heart and yearns for Claren’s love.

Kurten Wandsworth is the only son of the Mayor of St.Marhen. Kurten lives his life fueled by cruelty and lust. Whatever he wants he takes and he wants Claren to be his wife even it if kills her. Scarred by Claren he hunts her down mercilessly until he can set a trap which she will never be able to escape from.





GUEST POST by Astrid Yrigollen.

How Do You Keep Your Writing Different


We have all heard the phrase" Write what you know" and "Write what you like to read". I find these two phrases when coupled, can give birth to some very interesting stories. One of the things I find disappointing when reading new fiction is to be  half way through  a story and think to myself,"This is a lot like ...."Then upon finishing the story, I find that it was so similar to another well known book, I am surprised there was not a  plagiarism lawsuit filed.

There is nothing wrong with borrowing a classic idea and putting your own spin on it.In fact those are some of my favorite types of stories to read.However a person wants to make sure that they are not writing a cookie cutter version of a story that has already been written.People are smart and when they read your book they will be able to tell.

When I get a idea for  story I will go over it and even do research to see if there are similar story lines....and sometimes I won't. Like the honey badger, I just won't care. Since writing is a creative outlet, you have to write stories that make you happy.If you wan't to make money though, you may want to approach it from an entirely different angle.Hopefully a profitable and marketable one. Insert tongue in cheek here.





Author Bio
Astrid Yrigollen is a native of the Bay area of California and currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Astrid started writing stories for her friends in sixth grade. After working part time at a funeral home during high school, she channeled her love of story writing in to creating video games for PC's which were featured in Shareware magazines.

In the early 1990's she secured a position with International Video game giant, Sega of America but never lost her love for writing in traditional format. After leaving the video game industry, she worked briefly as a vet assistant, aiding in surgery until she found out she passes out at the site of blood!  Maintaining a great love of animals, but preferring work where there was no blood involved, Astrid became a boutique fashion designer for people 'who like to dress like their dolls', successfully placing her designs in boutiques in Europe, the U.S, and Australia.

She founded and now co-chairs with her husband for the California Coast Ball Jointed Doll Convention, an annual event for Japanese Super Dollfie Collectors. Astrid enjoys collecting dolls, Anime, video games, baking and sewing and is currently studying college level Japanese, her third language.

Works
She now enjoys writing Young Adult and Children's books and has succeeded in putting out The Doughnut Tree, The Zombie Playground, A creature compilation , and The Mosswoods to name a few.



FOLLOW THE TOUR!

Virtual Book Tour December 10 - December 31


December 27 - Book Maven - Review/Guest Post
December 28 - Read-a-Holicz - Review
December 28 -On Emily's Bookshelf - Review/Guest Post
December 29 - Proserpine Craving Books - Review
December 29 - 
December 30 - Michelle's Paranormal Book Vault - Review/Guest Post
December 30 - 
December 31 - The Avid Reader - Review/Guest Post

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Tour Stop: The Gaze.




THE GAZE by JAVIER A. ROBAYO




Blurb:



As a sophomore in college, Samantha Reddick meets Tony Amaya, a brokenhearted young man, whose written words she keeps as a memento of a weekend long affair. The words, written on the back of a paper placemat, become her only solid ground during a tumultuous decade that nearly destroys her, leaving her searching for answers at the bottom of the bottle. Haunted by guilt and the constant menace from a man she once loved, Samantha searches for Tony and inserts herself into his life through an online friend request to his wife, Gwen. Mutual curiosity opens the door to an unexpected friendship that becomes the catalyst of an inner battle between the better woman Samantha longs to be, and the Samantha who despises her own gaze.




Excerpt:



Tony didn’t look nervous at all. Meanwhile I was awash in uneasiness at the prospect of bringing him into my dorm. 




The story, all I want is the story and to find out what motivates such passionate writing, that’s all. Just the story… 




Liar…




I felt shaky while he walked. In contrast, his breathing was even as though he was so comfortable with the situation. I suddenly wondered if this particular situation was familiar to him. 




We took the stairway to the second floor. Our footfalls echoed loudly, the sound joined only by the faint buzzing of the overhead fluorescent lights.




I unlocked the door with trembling hands that jangled the keys. Somehow, I found the light switch and chased the shadows away, revealing a second hand living room set on cheap flat carpeting. I peeled off my denim jacket and threw it across a chair in the kitchen nook. When I turned, I was surprised to see him leaning against the door, held back by uncertainty. 




I held the paper placemat between us like an amulet to ward off his intensity. “Do you mind if I read it?”




He fixed his eyes on me and nodded before glancing away, his chin coming to rest on his chest.




I started reading. It was far more intense than I could have ever imagined. It was nothing but raw fury and passion, a determined declaration of love. It read of this girl that had become the center of his thoughts, the very core of his being. I could feel my heart breaking as I was overwhelmed with the strange notion that I wanted to be this Gwen of his. I wanted to know what it was to feel such passion, such love. Tears sprung in my eyes and I cried for him, for this fortunate girl… 




For me...




He didn’t ask what was wrong right away. He simply stared just past my shoulder while I made a futile attempt to dispel a sob. I muttered that this was beautiful and he gave me a sad, crooked smile as a tear rolled off the corner of his eye before he turned his face away.




I don’t know what it was about that tear, but it made me go to him like a magnet to steel and place my hands on his face. His skin was burning. There was a little stubble that only made me too aware of his masculinity.

"Kiss me," I whispered into those confused brown eyes of his. "Just kiss me." 




His hands found my wrists and his eyes stayed on mine. Need became a force as tangible as the strong winds that fuel a storm. 




I knew he was thinking I was crazy. I knew he thought of all the reasons why he should stop this crazy bitch in heat and go away. Bloody hell, I was thinking I was crazy.




A tiny voice in my head was screaming all sorts of warnings but just when I felt rejection eating away at me, his eyes fell on my lips and after one breathless moment, he leaned down and kissed me.




Molten lead would have frozen my insides in comparison. I was trembling and when I felt his breath stutter, I opened my lips in invitation. He pulled away and a disappointed moan escaped my throat, allowing reason to slowly take root in my brain. I kept my eyes on his. 




His hand held my face as delicately as a summer breeze. His thumb brushed away the tears I finally tried to blink away. His eyes seemed to glitter as they searched mine and time seemed to stop its endless march in perfect silence. 




Was this wrong? I let out my pent up breath slowly in a sorrowful sigh as electricity crackled between us.




In one swift motion, his hands brought my face up at an angle and he kissed me so hard, I lost what little restraint I had left. 




He loves someone else…




He loves her… 



Stop this!



I felt weightless. His touch was firm yet gentle. The kiss grew needier and heat traveled down into my body, setting my abdomen aflutter. My hands found the flat planes of his chest and then ran down his sides to his hips. On their way back, they pushed his shirt up. His hot skin sent a pang of need that had my heart hammering in my ribcage. 




My tickling fingers forced him to shift and pull away for a breath. I answered his smile with a lustful gaze as I brought his hands to the buttons of my uniform shirt. 




His hands ventured over my abdomen and moved up to grace the underside of my breasts, making my head swim. I shrugged the shirt off and his t-shirt joined it on the floor within seconds. 




We engaged in a stumbling waltz as we somehow made our way to my bedroom. Our clothes kept pooling on the floor, marking our passing like bread crumbs on an unknown trail. I was almost sick with need as the coarse hair of his chest made contact with my skin. When I felt him rigid on my thighs, I pulled hard on his neck, bringing him on top of me as he braced his fall with his arms on either side of me, never breaking from the kiss.




“Wait…” he panted. “I… um… I don’t have anything.”




It took a few seconds before I realized what he meant. Shame colored me a shade of red I thought would make me glow in the semi darkness. “It’s okay, I promise…” I said breathlessly. 




He gave me a dubious look that I hoped to eradicate with more kissing. His lips found my throat, my face, my shoulder, and I curled driving my hips up to meet him. He was being gentle, too gentle, I thought in frustration, when all I wanted was for him to go right through me. I grabbed hold of his hips, and then thoroughly enjoyed the feel of the muscles on his back as I pulled him into me. The sudden fullness forced me to bite my lip to keep me from crying out. It had been so bloody long…




“Kelly…” he whispered almost breaking the spell, but I was too far gone to care. 




A thin wisp of rational thought told me he was probably thinking about someone else. I wondered if he called out Kelly only to remind himself that he wasn’t with the girl behind his writing. It didn’t matter. My body overrode my mind as he moved within me. I held on tighter, needing the closeness, if only physical. 



…I’ll be no more than a transient thought in her mind, a small measure of time, insignificant. No more than a barely familiar set of notes to a song seldom remembered… 

The lines of his writing flashed through my head as my breath grew shallower. 

…No more can I feel the soft warmth of her kiss and its absence becomes me in the form of a living death… 

All I could do was accept this moment and quell my own thirst for that kind of love with what little he offered me. The kind of love he obviously reserved for the girl from his writing. 




His muscles grew taut under my touch while I held my breath as the inevitable rush of heat converged into my center from all corners of my body. I parted the kiss and screamed my ecstasy, burying my face into his chest while he grew impossibly large in me before collapsing, his own conclusion reached. We held onto each other, our breath ragged, both of us feeling each other’s tremors. If this was the one and only time I was to feel this way, then I’d go into the grave smiling to the high heavens.



Author Bio:



Javier A. Robayo is the author of THE GAZE and THE NEXT CHAPTER. He immigrated to the United States in 1988 at the age of 12 from Quito, Ecuador. He began writing as a way of learning English throughout his high school years, and studied at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He lives in Connecticut, with his wife, and two daughters, where he is currently at work on his next novel.









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Book covers & Summary of the books are copied from Goodreads. No Copyright infringement Intended.
My reviews are my honest opinion and remain uninfluenced.