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June 28, 2013

Giveaway of Quarantine: The Loners & The Saints!



The Books!


Enter to win a paperback copy of:

It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

From June 24th - July 22nd, QUARANTINE: THE LONERS (book 1) is on sale for $1.99 as an ebook.

And a Hardcover of:

McKinley High has been a battleground for the eighteen months since a virus outbreak led to a military quarantine of the school. When the doors finally open, Will and Lucy think their nightmare is finished. But they are gravely mistaken.

As a new group of teens enters the school and gains popularity, Will and Lucy join new gangs. An epic party on the quad full of real food and drinks, where kids hook tip and actually interact with members of the other gangs, seems to signal a new, easier existence. Soon after, though, the world inside McKinley takes a startling turn for the worse, and Will and Lucy will have to fight harder than ever to survive.

The Saints brings readers back into the dark and deadly halls of McKinley High and the Quarantine series.


About the Authors




Lex Thomas is the pen name for the writing team of Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies. Their first novel, QUARANTINE: THE LONERS, earned a starred review from Booklist, and Huffington Post Books called it "one of the best books that I have ever read."

Lex received a BA in Drama and English from the University of Virginia and has worked as an actor, director and writer. Thomas graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, and now writes, and exhibits his realist oil paintings in Los Angeles. Lex and Thomas met in a writers' group in Los Angeles. Their friendship developed as they tried to blow each other's minds with clips from bizarre movies. In 2005, they became a screenwriting team, and found that writing with a friend is much more fun than doing it alone. Visit them at www.lex-thomas.com.

QUARANTINE giveaway:

* The giveaway is one paperback copy of Quarantine: The Loners and one hardcover copy of Quarantine: The Saints.
* US only

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June 26, 2013

Impatiently Waiting! Control by Lydia Kang



Expected publish date:
December 26, 2013

Publisher's summary: After the violent death of her father, 17 year-old Zelia loses her younger sister, Dylia, during an abduction at a foster care agency. It turns out her sister Dylia isn’t just pretty and sweet—she’s illegal. In the year 2150, DNA must be pure by law, and anyone with enhanced genes face death. Zelia’s only allies are the freak-show inhabitants of her new, underground foster home. Along with the unexpected love of a very strange boy, she will need her flaws and their illicit traits to save the only family she has left.

“Control blew me away, from the depth and richness of this fascinating, disturbing vision of the future—and all its technologies—to the twists and turns and suspense that made for a thrilling ride. Zel is as authentic a character as I’ve read in a very long time. Highly recommended.” — James Dashner, NYT Bestselling Author of the Maze Runner Trilogy


♥♥♥♥♥

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.


June 25, 2013

Poison by Molly Cochran Blog Tour


The Assembly


Katy Ainsworth, Peter Shaw (Katy’s boyfriend), Gram (Elizabeth Ainsworth, Katy’s great-grandmother), Agnes (Katy’s Aunt Agnes Ainsworth), Hattie Scott (Katy’s employer, a cook), Ola’ea (Hattie’s ancestress—1690-1788), and Miss P (assistant headmistress at the school Katy and Peter attend)

Katy: Well, hi there, ladies and gentlemen! Today my fellow characters and I are gathered together for a very special interview with our esteemed creator, Molly Cochran, author of Legacy and Poison, who has graciously agreed to give us all bigger parts in her next book!
MC: Um, that’s not exactly—
Katy: Thanks, Mol. What’s your favorite song, Peter?
Peter: Huh?
MC: Everlasting Love, by the Black Keys.
Katy: It is not! It’s I Will Always Love You, by Whitney Houston!
Peter: As if.
MC: That’s your favorite song, Katy. You dance to it in Poison.
Katy: So does Peter! We dance together! And . . . and . . .
Agnes: (clearing throat) Do tell us about the next book, Ms. Cochran. The one after Poison.
MC: Really? You’d like to know about that?
Hattie: (hands on hips) Mmm. How big is my part?
Ola’ea: And mine! I wasn’t even in Poison.
Agnes: That’s because you’re dead.
Ola’ea: Who you calling dead, you skinny beyatch?
Peter: But you are dead, Ola’ea. You died in 1788, at the age of ninety eight.
Katy: Peter’s so smart. If you were a tree, Peter, what would you be?
MC: (ignoring her) The next book, which I’m calling Seduction at the moment, takes place in Paris.
Miss P: Alors, j’adore Paris, moi!
MC: You’re not in it.
Miss P: Not at all?
Katy: What’s your favorite color, Peter? Is it green, like my eyes? If you were a flower—
Peter: I think you’re supposed to be interviewing Molly. Er, Ms. Cochran. Her.
Katy: Oh. Okay, what kind of tree would you be, Mols?
MC: I have no idea. What an annoying question. Anyway, there are a number of new characters in Seduction, among them a coven of beautiful witches who all want to take Peter away from Katy—
Katy: What!
MC: —and a gorgeous rock guitarist millionaire who falls in love with Katy—
Peter: What!
Gram: What!
Hattie: What!
Agnes: What!
Miss P: What!
MC: —while Peter finally discovers a magical ability in himself that guarantees great wealth for the rest of his life.
Peter: (grinning) Cool.
Ola’ea: And then a beautiful ghost comes, and—
MC: No. No ghosts.
Peter: But that’s a whole book away. We were talking about Poison. I don’t think I have a big enough part in Poison.
MC: What are you talking about? You save everyone.
Katy: And you almost die for me.
Peter: I do die for you, Katy. In case you didn’t notice.
Ola’ea: Oh, are you dead, too? (bats eyelashes)
Katy: Well, I get attacked by rats.
Gram: Gracious. I think I’d rather be dead.
Ola’ea: No, you wouldn’t.
Katy: Okay, now I’m serious. You, big creator lady . . . Why do you make things so hard for us?
MC: In Poison, you were betrayed by a friend. That’s always hard.
Katy: You filled me with poison.
MC: That’s how betrayal feels.
Katy: You left me with nothing.
MC: That’s not true. I left you with everything that matters—love, family, courage . . . and a bit of hard-won wisdom.
Hattie: Hmmph. Personally, I’d rather have what you gave Peter.
Gram: Right. Money. Gelt. Moolah. Gimme.
Katy: Gram!
Miss P: J’adore l’argent, moi.
Ola’ea: I just wish I were alive.
Katy: Yeah. Some creator you turned out to be, Molly C. Can’t even give us what we want.
MC: I’m sorry. I guess I can’t please you all. But I didn’t write my books to please you. I wrote them because I wanted to make your world real. I wanted to feel your magic, if only for the time it took me to invent it. And when I’m done writing about you, I’ll miss you more than I can say.
Peter: You’ll miss us? Hey, we’ll be the ones with no life.
Gram: What are you young people talking about? Sounds like Greek to me.
Agnes: He’s talking about us. When the author stops writing what we’re doing, we stop doing it.
Hattie: You mean we just, like, freeze?
MC: Yes. You freeze. You never age. You never move past the point of the last page.
Katy: Getting scared here.
MC: Me, too. It’s always painful to finish a book. Even though it’s a relief, it hurts.
Katy: lips trembling) So this is goodbye?
MC: (softly) Yes. Goodbye my children, created from my own joy and sorrow, from my questions and fear and moments of blessedness. Goodbye, until I write you again. Goodbye, goodbye . . .



About the Author

Molly Cochran, author of the teen paranormal romances LEGACY and POISON, has written 26 published novels and four nonfiction books under her own name and various pseudonyms. Her books include New York Times bestselling novels GRANDMASTER and THE FOREVER KING, coauthored with Warren Murphy, and the nonfiction DRESSING THIN, also a NY Times bestseller. She has won awards from the Mystery Writers of America (Best Novel of the Year), the Romance Writers of America (Best Thriller), and the New York Public Library (Outstanding Books for the Teen Age).

SEDUCTION, the third installment in the LEGACY series, is scheduled for release later this year through her publisher, Simon & Schuster.

Two eBooks, THE TEMPLE DOGS and THE FOREVER KING, are currently available through online retailers. A third, GRANDMASTER, will be available soon.

Molly has lectured extensively and has taught writing at the college level as well as at a women's prison (where she was NOT an inmate). She also writes a blog on writing technique which appears on her website, MollyCochran.com.

She lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

WebsiteBlogTwitterFacebookGoodreads



About the Book


Arthurian legend mixes with modern-day witchcraft in this haunting sequel to Legacy, which Publishers Weekly said “should please the legions of paranormal fans looking for a sophisticated supernatural thriller.”

After the riveting—and romantic—events of Legacy, Katy has won Peter’s heart and is now claiming her place in the magical world. Though half the students at her boarding school come from witching lines, the use of magic is expressly forbidden at Ainsworth, so as to keep the witching world hidden from the blue-blooded preppies, aka Muffies, who also walk the halls.

But the Muffies have at least a notion of magic, because Katy catches them staging a made-up ritual—and to her astonishment, the girls collapse at Katy’s feet and fall into comas. When Katy is blamed, she becomes desperate to clear her name and finds herself battling all odds to harness her growing magical powers in order to save the Muffies and dispel the Darkness once more.
AmazonBarnes & NobleIndie BoundThe Book Depository


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This is a TOUR WIDE giveaway.
There will be ONE winner – SIGNED copies of Legacy AND Poison + Outtakes from the photo shoot for Selection!
Giveaway is open: US Mailing Addresses only.
Ends: July 6th, 2013 (12:00am EST)

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June 19, 2013

Tarnish Tour Stop & Giveaway! Katherine Longshore's Bookish Travels



About the book

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.

GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & NobleThe Book Depository



About the author

Katherine Longshore grew up on the northern California coast. At university, she created her own major in Cross-Cultural Studies and Communications, planning to travel and write. Forever. Four years, six continents and countless pairs of shoes later, she went to England for two weeks, stayed five years and discovered history. She now lives in California with her husband, two children and a sun-worshiping dog.

Website: ★ BlogTwitterFacebookGoodreads





Travel, theater and books have been a huge part of my life for a long time. These three things are probably the biggest factors in why I write what I do. Acting is a wonderful way to get into character. Every writer should be a voracious reader. And travel? Being able to go back in time is thrilling enough, but being able to visit the places I write about and imagine my characters there? Is priceless. But before I dove into fiction, I spent a lot of years traveling and writing about it. And some of my favorite places in the world are places brought to life by other writers.

Verona, Italy
The summer after I graduated from college, my best friend and I traveled Europe by rail. I forced her to stop in Verona because it is the fictional setting of Romeo and Juliet. It ended up being one of our favorite cities because it is laid back, full of romance, and was where I ate one of my top ten favorite plates of pasta.

Bateman’s, Sussex, UK
Rudyard Kipling’s house. There’s something inspiring about being in the presence of greatness, isn’t there? This is where he wrote some of his best poetry and fiction, a beautiful brick house set in the rolling countryside of England.

Ardroy’s, Zimbabwe
When I visited this little house, I had no idea it was the same one Doris Lessing wrote about in her book African Laughter. It’s a wonderful cottage overlooking a coffee plantation on the border of Mozambique. I could have stayed there forever.

Ko Phan Ngan, Thailand
The island that Alex Garland wrote about in The Beach is fictional, but the atmosphere of the islands off the east coast of Thailand isn’t. It’s a combination of party heaven and people looking for peace and meaning. Perfect, white sand beaches lined by palm-thatch huts where giant cockroaches walk over you in the middle of the night. Like the fictional beach, it’s a balance of beauty and darkness.

Casablanca, Morocco
All right, I’ve only seen the movie. But how can you not fall in love with a place that inspired such a piece of art? It’s exotic and dirty and noisy and thrilling. And of course I went to Rick’s CafĂ© Americain.

Bayeux, France
The account of the Battle of Hastings wasn’t written down in so many words, but worked into an intricate tapestry, detailing the deaths of soldiers, the arrival of William the Conqueror and poor Harold with the arrow through his eye. I had to go and see it for myself.

Florence, Italy
One of my favorite books of all time is A Room with a View, by E. M. Forster. It opens in Florence, where young Lucy Honeychurch meets George Emerson, visits the Santa Croce and has a picnic up on the Fiesole. The real thing is just as romantic as the novel. Someone once berated me that “Florence is a place you go through on your way to Rome.” I replied, “I traveled through Rome to get to Florence.” (side note: I’ve also been to Holmbury St. Mary, where Forster is rumored to have set the Honeychurch home in England. Very pretty, but not nearly as romantic.)

Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Before I was a writer, I was an actress. And I was in love with Shakespeare. Stratford is his birthplace, and where his ghost lives on in countless stage productions, tours and gift shops. There’s an atmosphere there, a mix of coziness and tension, like you belong, but exciting things are afoot.

The Tower of London
The Tower is like my travel Nirvana. It’s a place where history, story, myth and theater collide. This is where the princes in the Tower from Richard III were murdered. It’s where Thomas More from A Man for All Seasons spent his last days. I’ve read several novels where someone travels to the Tower only to be changed by it (most recently, Transcendence by C.J. Omololu). And, of course, it’s the place where several of my own characters meet their ends, including Anne Boleyn.







June 10, 2013 Tales of a Ravenous Reader - Guest Post
June 11, 2013 Hobbisites - Interview
June 12 ,2013 Mundie Moms - Guest Post
June 13, 2013 Literary Exploration - Review
June 14, 2013 Confessions of a Book Addict - Review
June 17, 2013 Good Books and Good Wine - Guest Post
June 18, 2013 Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post
June 19, 2013 Magical Urban Fantasy Reads - Guest Post
June 20, 2013 Taters's Tall Tails - Guest Post
June 21, 2013 Pageturners - Review






1 winner will receive A pair of Anne Boleyn inspired earrings and a signed Hardcover of Tarnish
2 winners will receive signed copies of Tarnish




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June 17, 2013

One Tiny Lie Tour Stop Q&A and Giveaway!




About the Book



Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

AmazonBarnes & Noble



About the Author


Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.
BlogWebsiteFacebookTwitter
GoodreadsAtria



Me: I'd like to welcome my absolute favorite author! She not only writes some amazing books, but she's also one of the coolest and funnest people I've met since I've started blogging and I hope that one day I'll be lucky enough to meet her in person.

Hi K.A. Thank you so much for stopping by again!

My first question is, “Is it your ultimate goal every time you start writing a book to drive your readers insane, to torture them or to give them heart attacks?”
KA: Actually... yes, it is :-) I never want my readers bored. I want them on their toes at all time, wondering what's going to happen. And if they've already figured out what may happen (a lot of readers did early on, in Ten Tiny Breaths), I want them biting their nails with anxiety, waiting for the bomb to drop. Those are the kinds of stories I enjoy.

Me: So, maybe I should ask, “Do you also enjoy torturing your characters?”
KA: Actually... yes, again :D Part of developing the characters is figuring out where their boundaries are and then throwing in conflict that really tests them. Doing so creates multi-dimensional characters.

Me: You first started out writing your YA series, with vampires and alternative universes, and now you’re writing a NA Contemporary. How was the writing different for you? And which genre was easier for you to write?
KA: In my YA series, I have focused a lot of effort on worldbuilding and plot. That's critical in order for the reader to relate more to the story, given the elements they can't relate to (the paranormal aspects). I find it takes a lot of planning. The NA Contemporary book kind of just happened. I had an idea, I went with it, and the story flew together. There was much more focus on the character and her personal plight. Though the setting and plot are obviously important, it didn't take up as much of my time to develop. Easier to write? For me, jury's still out. I like to walk the line between reality and "oh my God! Can you imagine if that happened?!" That's harder to do in contemporary than in paranormal (for obvious reasons). But I find it is easier to write with emotion in NA contemp. Perhaps it's because I'm also writing in first person present. I HATED first person present until I read the Hunger Games. HATED it. Now? LOVE IT.

Me: Ten Tiny Breaths was originally self-published, and then you signed with Atria. How did that happen and what was involved in the transition process?
KA: I self-pubbed as I have with my other books and the book did very well. Publishers began contacting me, inquiring if I held the rights and if I had an agent... Over Christmas, I was contacted by my lovely agent, Stacey Donaghy, who had heard about me and TTB through a fellow writer. I signed with her after New Years and then everything kind of snowballed...I was contacted by an editor at Simon & Schuster, who expressed interest in TTB. My agent put the pitch together for four books and had it flowing out to the pub houses within a day or two. The offers came in and we decided to accept the one from Atria!

Me: Did Ten Tiny Breaths change at all from the self-published version to the traditionally published version?
KA: Very little. It went through another round of copy edits and we removed a few sentences (I'm talking four or five sentences). Otherwise, that's it!

Me: Are you working on any other writing projects now, other than the two series you have already released?
KA: I don't know how people can work on several books at once. I am not one of them! I find I have to focus on each story individually to get the characters right. Right now I'm writing the 3rd book in the NA series (Four Seconds to Lose). That needs to be wrapped up in about a month. Then I'll put some real focus to Anomaly (the last book in my YA series). I have ideas floating around in my head but I have to get them on my screen. I hope to have that finished and out in the fall, however I have one last book due to Atria in November and that's a contractual deadline so I can't miss it.

Once those three books are done... I have ideas. Lots of ideas. :-)

Me: Thank you so much for stopping by KA! I sure hope this won't be the last time!
KA: Thank you for having me! I'm not going anywhere... are you getting rid of me? It's not easy.
xoxo


The Tour!

June 10-Literati Literature Lovers
June 11-Natasha is a Book Junkie AND Maryse's Book Blog
June 12- I Read Indie AND Into The Hall Of Books
June 13-Aestas Book Blog AND ReaderGirls
June 14-Tsk, Tsk, What to Read AND Globug And Hootie
June 15-Putting Pen to Page
June 16-The Bookish Babes
June 17-Magical Urban Fantasy Reads AND BookNerds Anonymous
June 18-ChickLovesLit
June 19-Book Bitches Blog
June 20-3 Chicks & Their Books
June 21-Lovin Los Libros AND Novel Thoughts
June 22-Shh Mom's Reading
June 23-#BookNerd






Tour Giveaway
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June 13, 2013

The Immortal Circus Act Two Book Blast


I am so excited to be participating in the book blast to celebrate the release of A.R. Kahler's THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO today!

To help spread the word about its release in Kindle serial format, I have a GUEST POST from Mab, Ringmaster of the Cirque des Immortels, some information about this second book in the series and a couple of awesome giveaways to share.

With its stunning cover, its description which hints of dark things to come in this sequel and the even darker things that Mab alludes to in Vivienne's past, I am so unbelievably excited to be able to share this book on my blog.

Now let me turn things over to the Ringmaster...

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GUEST POST from Mab – Ringmaster Extraordinaire and Circus Fashionista

Hello loves,

A few months have passed since we did our last tour, and oh, how I've missed you all.

This week, I am pleased to announce the next installment in our little show. Although it pains me to admit that we will not be doing a full blog tour, I am sure the tale ACT TWO weaves will keep you entertained. So many of you were dying to know more about Vivienne's past. In fact, many people seem to be dying when it comes to Vivienne's past but...I'd hate to spoil her surprise. Needless to say, this will be a show she will never forget.

And for those of you who need more than pretty words to tempt them, I am also hosting a giveaway. Five winners will receive Immortal Circus trading cards and a signed bookplate. One lucky winner will also get a signed copy of book one.

Six prizes, six winners. Six is my favorite number.

Step right up, loves. ACT TWO is just beginning....

Kisses, Mab

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

About the Book

Title: THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO (The Immortal Circus #2)
Author: A.R. Kahler
Publisher: 47North
Release date: June 11, 2013
Format: Kindle serial eBook (current). Paperback edition to be released.

Vivienne is almost content with her new life in the Cirque des Immortels. She has moved up from selling cotton candy to telling fortunes, she has a gorgeous, magical boyfriend, Kingston…and no one has been murdered since the clash between the otherworldly Courts. Her life under the faerie big top would be perfect, in fact, if not for the nightmares and visions that compel her to seek and confront her half-remembered past. But for Viv, not knowing her past may well be a blessing. There's a reason she ran away. But can she truly escape herself?

The second act of the fantastically evocative Cirque des Immortels series, The Immortal Circus: Act Two draws readers further into a world that’s at once wonderful, seductive…and deadly.

Step right up…


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About the Author


Most little boys dream of running away to join the circus.

Alex didn't just dream it: he did it. But then, he rarely lets a good dream pass him by.

In the past six years he's toured and trained across America and Europe. He's performed in Amsterdam, taught trapeze in Madrid, studied in Glasgow and even had a stint as assistant to Holly Black and Cassandra Clare in New England. He's constantly on the lookout for new places to explore and new worlds to invent. He's a Sagittarius fueled by full moons and espresso. The way to his heart is a latte and fan art. Just for the record.

THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, book one in his Cirque des Immortels series, is now available from 47North. ACT TWO releases today, June 11, 2013.

MARTYR, the first book in his post-apocalyptic YA fantasy series, THE HUNTED, is set to be published October 28, 2014 by Spencer Hill Press.


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About Book One


Title: THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS (The Immortal Circus #1)
Author: A.R. Kahler
Publisher: 47North
Release date: December 4, 2012 (serial eBook); January 29, 2013 (paperback)
Formats: Kindle eBook, Paperback

Murdered contortionists aren’t exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded—especially not when she realizes the devilishly attractive ringleader Mab is the Faerie Queen of legend…and that she and the rest of the troupe are locked in an age-old rivalry between the otherworldly Courts.

Aided by her friends Kingston—a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart—and his smart-ass assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past—and future—than she bargains for.

The show's just beginning.

Step right up…

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The Giveaways


Mab’s Giveaways (US ONLY):

GRAND PRIZE – A signed copy of book one, THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, The Immortal Circus trading cards and a signed bookplate. (ONE WINNER)

PRIZES – Trading Cards and a signed bookplate. (FIVE WINNERS)

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Rockstar Book Tours Giveaways (International to anywhere that can accept eBook gifts from Amazon US)

A Kindle Serial eGift of THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS: ACT TWO. (FIVE WINNERS)

(All winners will be announced in the Rafflecopter and contacted by email.)

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June 12, 2013

Leigh Ann Kopans' Top Ten Author Inspirations!



About the Author


Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

BlogWebsiteFacebookTwitterGoodreads



Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today! I’m so honored to have been invited.

A crazy thing happens when someone asks a writer to name her top ten author inspirations, sort of like a cacophony of voices. To me, every single author I’ve read is an inspiration, each for a unique reason. So I had to sit awhile and try to pick out the voices that spoke loudest on this particular day. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, my top ten author inspirations:

Beth Revis
Her debut, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, took a brave step into a mixed genre – a sci-fi murder mystery - that paid off in the form of being a NYT bestseller. Also, it was her tenth manuscript- there’s a whole lot of persistence involved in her career.

Hannah Moskowitz
Hannah stares every stereotype about teenagers not being capable of writing good stuff and says “eff you.” Rightly so. Her books are some of the most gorgeous I’ve ever read, including my favorite, BREAK.

Kristin Cashore
In a publishing market that almost demands intense interaction with social media, and in a society that depends on technology for nearly everything, Kristin Cashore doesn’t tweet or Facebook and writes her novels longhand in notebooks. I admire her for writing the way she needs to write, no matter what. Also, her GRACELING is one of my favorite books ever.

Trisha Leigh
I admire her for taking self-publishing by the reins and being a total badass at it. I picked up WHISPERS IN AUTUMN, the first in her “The Last Year” series, and was blown away by what she’d done. I wouldn’t have ever been published without her influence.

John Green
His “Don’t Forget to Be Awesome” movement is a true testament to the power of YA books and authors. I admire for growing such an amazingly positive movement for his readers.

Isaac Marion
For writing about a pop culture topic in a way that is stunningly literary. His use of language, metaphor, and theme in WARM BODIES completely blew me away.

Elana Johnson
for being super classy and interactive with her readers and unpublished writers, even though she wrote the gorgeous and popular SURRENDER series with Simon and Schuster.

Jane Austen
For making fun of society with her books, and being smart enough about it that nobody rioted. And for writing hilariously witty stuff about characters so real you either wanted to hug them or hit them. Or both.

Madeleine L’Engle
For this quote – “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”. If I was a tattoo-getting type of person, I would think of getting one of that quote. Just brilliant.

Laura Hillenbrand
Who was incapacitated by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for years, and researched/wrote much of the NYT Bestselling SEABISCUIT one painful word at a time from her bed over a period of several years. I get impatient when it takes me more than a couple months to write a book.

About the Book




When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.


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Impatiently Waiting! Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau



Expected publish date:
January 7, 2014

Publisher's summary: In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.


♥♥♥♥♥

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.


June 11, 2013

Character Comparison: Spies and Prejudice vs. Pride and Prejudice


About the book

Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

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About the author

Talia Vance is a practicing litigation attorney living in Northern California with her real life love interest, two-point-five kids, and a needy Saint Bernard named Huckleberry. Talia has been writing since she could talk, making up stories for every doll, stuffed animal and action figure she could get her hands on. She grew up hoping to write the great American novel, but her life ran more along the lines of tortured romance and fast paced thrillers, so that's what she writes.
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Not every character in Pride and Prejudice gets a corresponding character in Spies and Prejudice, but most of the characters in Spies were loosely based on the characters in Pride and Prejudice. I say loosely, because I tried to give each character my own spin as well.

Berry Fields (Elizabeth Bennet)
Like Elizabeth Bennet, Berry is smart, able to trade barbs with anyone, and has a tendency to judge people quickly. Having lost her mother, Berry is a bit more vulnerable than Elizabeth, and perhaps a bit more jaded, but like Elizabeth, Berry does not believe in compromising her values or beliefs.

Tanner Halston (Fitzwilliam Darcy)
Like Mr. Darcy, Tanner is aloof and occasionally rude, and doesn’t make a good first impression. He is also loyal and trustworthy, willing to go to great lengths to help his friends. Just as Darcy falls for Elizabeth, Tanner realizes he has feelings for Berry but ends up insulting her when he tries to win her over. Tanner is more awkward than Darcy, and has more secrets.

Mary Chris Moss (Jane Bennet)
Mary Chris is as sweet and lovely as Jane Bennet. And, like Jane, she is an optimist who likes everyone. But, she can hack past the most sophisticated firewall, and reverse engineer almost any electronic device.

Ryan Halston (Charles Bingley)
Like Mr. Bingley, Ryan falls for the beautiful Mary Chris (Jane) almost immediately upon meeting her. He’s attracted to her beauty, but he also finds he has a lot in common with her. Despite his feelings for Mary Chris, Ryan doesn’t fight to stay together and is swayed by the opinion of others, although he eventually comes back around. Ryan is probably the most like his Pride and Prejudice counterpart.

Jason Yakamoto (Charlotte Lucas)
Jason is Berry’s friend and confidante, the person who will call Berry (Elizabeth) out where appropriate. Like Charlotte, Jason has fewer choices when it comes to men and he’s willing to compromise where Berry is not.

Collin Waterson (William Collins)
Just like his Pride and Prejudice counterpart, Collin courts Berry in a crass manner. Where Mr. Collins flaunted his money and connections and courts Elizabeth because her sister is enamored with someone else, Collin constantly hits on Berry and hints that he wants to have a purely physical relationship. Neither character is interested in Berry (Elizabeth) because they care about her as a person, and both are crass and uncouth. I like to think that Collin is a bit more sympathetic, and that Jason (Charlotte) is actually a far better match for him.

Drew Maddingly (George Wickham)
Drew is every bit the charmer that Mr. Wickham was, using humor and charisma to win Berry’s trust right away, but proving to have secrets he’d rather stay buried.





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Giveaway Details

5 winners total US only
3 winners will receive 1 Hardcover of Spies and Prejudice and a T-Shirt.
2 winners will receive a T-Shirt

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