New Years Resolutions for 2015

I'm really excited to be sharing an excerpt from the newest LGBTQ+ anthology being released this month. I support this book, because ALL PROCEEDS from the sale will be donated to The Trevor Project.

$500 YA Signed Book Giveaway + Gift Card

Derek Murphy, YA author and founder of the YA Author Alliance, is running a giveaway this month, 10 signed books by bestselling authors and a $200 giftcard.

Once Upon A Series

I have way too many series that I've started, but haven't finished for whatever reason and this is a list of those I plan to finish this year.

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Lies We Tell Ourselves is an eye-opening, heartbreaking, and beautifully written novel that will leave an everlasting impression on you.

Friday, August 2, 2013

AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS: FEATURING LEIGH FALLON'S CARRIER SERIES




Carrier of the Mark was one of the very first ARC requests that I was approved for from HarperTEEN and I remember being extremely excited! I had such high hopes for this bright new shining debut and Leigh Fallon did not disappoint. It was so incredibly easy to fall into the deep intoxicating and beautifully created world that she so originally put forth in an amazing debut novel. I gobbled this entire book up greedily in a matter of hours and instantly wanted more. CRAVED MORE! No, I knew that I had to have more and I didn't want to be kept waiting. This was such a super fantastic world to get sucked into and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Shadow of the Mark so that I can see what happens next in this phenomenally gripping and intensely captivating series. I know that no matter happens, Leigh Fallon is not going to let me down whatsoever. She has such a fantastic way of weaving mythology and realism together, where they blend so effortlessly and you follow along with the natural ebb and flow of the story she's telling. She writes with so much passion, depth, and beauty that it's hard not to fall in love with whatever story she's spinning to life. Plus, she is one of the sweetest, most amazing, and nicest authors that I've had the pleasure of speaking with via email. I absolutely love her to pieces and I admire her talent, more than anything, to tell a story and captivate you until the end leaving you...CRAVING MORE!

So, yes, in my book LEIGH FALLON IS A ROCKSTAR!!!


Which, is why I am so super excited and stoked to have such a fierce author here on my blog today talking a little bit about the mythology behind the Carrier series. Be prepared to be wowed, amazed, stunned, and captivated as she takes you behind the scenes of the Carrier series. If you have not yet read this book, then you are definitely going to want to pick it up for sure. I cannot stress enough how amazing it is!

Creating the Mythology in the Carrier Series
by Leigh Fallon


I drew my initial inspiration for the beautiful Irish countryside, and in particular, the pretty town of Kinsale, it’s filled with ancient buildings, historical sites, and crumbling castles. I then delved into my childhood, to all my school tours that brought me to amazing historical sites around Ireland and in my hometown of Dublin. There were some places in particular that stayed with me. Trinity College, Christchurch, and Newgrange, to name a few.

Then I did a bit of research into Ireland’s pagan history and ancient celtic mythology and realized that many of the sites I’d loved as a child had ties to stories of the Goddess Danu. She was the mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Danu represents birth and beginnings. She is thought of as the goddess who came before everything else. She represents light and dark and giving and receiving. She is Mother Nature in many respects.

To the Celts, Tuatha de Danann, Danu’s children have to struggle against their enemies, the evil Fomorians, whose own “Mother Goddess” is Domnu. Irish lore contains many tales of the struggle between the Children of Domnu, representing darkness and chaos, and the Children of Danu, representing light and order.

In Carrier, I took the story of Danu and the Tuatha Dé Danann and played with it a little. I had it that Danu gifted each of her human children one of her powers, earth, air, fire, and water. Each of her children would bear ‘The Mark’ symbolizing their power and lineage. Then instead of having separate Children of Domnu representing the dark side of their powers, I had the Tuatha Dé Danann being both, representing the internal struggle of the power they hold the and pull of the light and the dark. I introduced the ancient druids (I adore the old stories of druidism in Ireland) who took on the role of protecting and guiding the Tuatha Dé Danann in their struggle to choose light over dark, and to achieve their ultimate goal, aligning the elements of earth to restore harmony in the absence of their mother, Danu.


As we all know, humans, in most cases, are deeply flawed, and I loved the idea of teens struggling with the usual issues along with out of control gifts that really belong in the hands of the gods. It all leads to oodles of trouble, but there’s a lot of fun to be had along the way.



 photo CARRIERSERIES_zps96812e4a.png



Carrier of the Mark (Carrier #1)

"Their love was meant to be."

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.


Shadow of the Mark (Carrier #2)

"Their love could destroy them all."

Through the ages, Marked Ones have harnessed the powers of the four elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Much about the elements is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: A relationship between two Marked Ones has the potential to cause widespread devastation.

Megan and Adam—Air and Water—are determined to defy the risks.

But the power that swirls inside Megan is growing in twisted ways. And the closer she is to Adam, the closer Megan comes to unleashing a dark force that could spell destruction for the entire Marked line.



Visit these places below to purchase these beauties:


IndieBound  Amazon B&N  BAM 
 Book Depository






 photo leighfallon_zps287d869e.pngLeigh Fallon was born in South Africa, raised in Dublin, Ireland and moved to Cork in her 20’s. While living in beautiful Kinsale, Co Cork she discovered a love of writing. She writes mainly for the young adult market. Her debut novel, The Carrier of the Mark, prompted her to abandon her ‘riveting’ career in corporate treasury and she has been writing ever since. She has another three books in the Carrier series and a few other projects she's working on. Her family and she now share their time between Ireland and the US.



Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads



To check out all of the other AWESOME FEATURED ROCKSTAR AUTHORS on this tour, please click the link below! I promise you, you are absolutely NOT going to want to miss out on this FUN for sure. There are so many amazing authors being spotlighted, so many fantastic giveaways, and just a lot of fun in general.




Monday, July 29, 2013

SOUL TAKEN BOOK TRAILER REVEAL, EXCERPT, & GIVEAWAY




Guys, I am super duper excited to be able to participate in the trailer reveal for Katlyn Duncan’s SOUL TAKEN which released on June 4th! Normally, this isn't my kind of thing to do, because it was one of my goals this year to shy away from doing too many of these. But, I saw the synopsis for this book and I couldn't resist. I just had to share it with you!

This book sounds absolutely deliciously amazing and I can't wait to share the TRAILER and the EXCERPT the author has generously shared, with you guys. There is also an awesome GIVEAWAY for an eBook Kindle copy of the book to one winner. So definitely be sure to check that out, too!

With its gorgeous cover, it's intriguing description, its totally captivating excerpt and awesome trailer, I am thrilled to be able share SOUL TAKEN with you. So without further ado I give to you....


"The SOUL TAKEN Trailer"





About the Book

Title: SOUL TAKEN (The Life After #1)
Author: Katlyn Duncan
Publisher: Carina UK
Release date: June 4th
Formats: eBook

After-life just got a lot more complicated

Maggie is a Soul Collector. It’s her job to transport souls from the Living Realm to the After – but during a mission to find a stolen soul, she ends up stuck in a teen mean girl’s body.

Trapped, Maggie’s soul is catapulted into Ally’s life – and the human world she hasn’t experienced for one hundred years. But, as a descendant of the most powerful beings in the After, Maggie must rescue Ally before the girl’s soul dies…

To survive, Maggie must uncover devastating secrets – because with one soul taken by a terrifying enemy, Maggie’s could be next!





About the Author

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.




The SOUL TAKEN Excerpt

A suffocating heat pressed all points of my soul. Even though I hadn’t breathed in a hundred years, I felt the need to inhale, yet I couldn’t. A fire burned in my chest.

I attempted to open my eyes, to move one finger, a toe maybe, but the pressure immobilized my body. The burning sensation tore through me over and over until I had just about given up the fight.

But, just as quickly as the pressure came, it lifted, bringing a seemingly endless barrage of images. I was experiencing someone else’s memories, as if I took a back seat in her mind and watched her life flash before our eyes. I caught her image in a mirror, a small golden-haired girl.

Ally?

I tried to slow the images or possibly make sense of them but, just as I grabbed a hold on one of them, it slipped through my fingers and moved onto the next. I followed this girl through all the moments of her life as her memories flashed before my eyes.

Darker emotions overlapped the girl’s happy memories. I saw a young red-haired girl in an old-fashioned dress; her demure eyes looked back at me. Jealousy flared through me. My heart squeezed, watching this girl who was not part of Ally’s memories. A rush of energy pumped through my body; the power touched every fiber of my soul. Then the vision dissolved and I was forced back to experiencing Ally.

Was I dreaming?

Souls didn’t dream. I told myself firmly.

The visions started to slow and I was able to focus on one.

I had to tell them, even though Dad said I couldn’t. But in a week I wouldn’t be the same girl. Or would I? I still wasn’t clear on everything. Becoming a Guard: it was my life’s mission, he had said. A life that was no longer my own. Would it be easier to let this life slip away? I would regret each day if I didn’t. Maybe I would start with Seth. Sweet Seth. He’d be crushed, but someone would take my place. Dad had said something about people—humans— was I not human? Humans were drawn to those like me. Maybe Seth only liked me because I was different, unexplainably different.

I ripped the paper off the coffee sleeve. It was now or never.


The SOUL TAKEN Giveaway


An eBook Kindle copy of SOUL TAKEN to ONE (1) winner.

  • Must be 13 or older to enter
  • Must be able to accept Amazon Kindle eBook gifts from the U.S.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below...


Monday, July 15, 2013

EVENT: I HEART YA 2013


TeamNerd Reviews is SOOOOOO excited to FINALLY start I HEART YA and introduce all of you to some A-MAH-ZING authors, their FABULOUS books, and fun interviews as well as thought provoking guest posts from them!

They also have some SUPER EPIC giveaways going down on TeamNerd Reviews for the I HEART YA Month where fans can win some really fun goodies! 

In order to enter ANY of the giveaways you HAVE TO enter at least ONE nomination in the I HEART YA Nomination Form! You can nominate ANY author, ANY book, and ANY character as long as they belong to the YOUNG ADULT genre ;) The author who wins ROCKIN' AUTHOR will win a cool WRITER'S PACAKGE so fans be sure to nominate your favorite!!






Now for the goods you can win! *hehe* There are MULTIPLE giveaways going on and you are welcome to enter as many as you want!




SWAG Pack Giveaway Pile






Signed Paperback
Copy: Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne
                                            
Tote Bag & Three Wristbands
Signed Paperback
Copy: Interred (Chronicles of Interred, #1) by Marilyn Almodovar
                                            
Interred Magnet & Wr
istband
                                             E-copy:
Interred (Chronicles of Interred, #1)
                                             Interred Magnet
& Wristband
E-Copy: Grasping
at Eternity (The Kindrily Series, #1)
              Taking Back Forever (The Kindrily
Series, #2)
               Tangled Tides (The Sea Monster
Memoirs, #1)
Signed Paperback copy of Phantom (with
the original cover) by Laura DeLuca
                 Incense
                Crystal Points N
                Natural stone pendant
               Gothic key chain
               Lavender Purification Bath Salts
E-Copy: Forged by Greed (Forged Series,
#1) by Angela Orlowski-Peart
              
Forged by Magic (Forged Series, Prequel)




E-Copy: Marked (Marked Duology Series, #1) by Jennifer Snyder




                Changed (Marked Duology Series, #2) by Jennifer Snyder




E-Copy: Windchaser (The Phantom Island Series, #1) by Krissi Dallas
                Windfall (The Phantom Island Series, #2)
                 Watercrossing (The Phantom Island Series, #3)



E-Copy: Born in Flames (Born in Flames Trilogy, #1) by Candace Knoebel


              Embracing the Flames (Born in Flames Trilogy, #2)




Terms and Conditions

**Must be 14 or older to enter**
**Opened U.S. and Internationally**
**NINE winners will be selected (one winner per swag pack)**
**Winners will have 48 HOURS to respond before a new winner is chosen**
**Be aware: Some content contained within the books are for a mature audience**

a Rafflecopter giveaway







Signed Copies Giveaway Pile









Signed Copy: Unremembered by Jessica
Brody
Signed Copy: Spooked by Tracy Sharp
Signed Copy: Revival by Jena Leigh
Signed ARC Copy: Stained by Cheryl
Rainfield
Signed Copy: Undeadly by Michele Vail
Signed Copy: Human Blend (Blend Trilogy,
#1) by Lori Pescatore
                          Earth Blend (Blend
Trilogy, #2)
                         Terminal Blend (Blend
Trilogy, #3)
Two Signed Copies: Touching the Surface by
Kimberly Sabatini
 




Terms and Conditions

**Must be 14 or older to enter**
**Opened U.S. and Internationally**
**SEVEN winners will be selected (one winner per book, except for the Blend Trilogy books which will go to one winner)**
**Winners will have 48 HOURS to respond before a new winner is chosen**
**Be aware: Some content contained within the books are for a mature audience**



a Rafflecopter giveaway






Paperback Copies Giveaway Pile










Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Legacy by Cayla Kluver
Kiss by An Angel by Elizabeth Chandler (includes two
other books in the series)
Trinity Pact by E.M. Shelton
Nightshade (Nightshade Series, #1) and Wolfsbane (Nightshade
Series, #2) by Andrea Cremer
Weather Witch by Shannon Delany
Glass Houses (The Morganville Series, #1) &
Midnight Alley (The Morganville Series, #3) by Rachel Caine


Terms and Conditions

**Must be 14 or older to enter**
**Opened U.S. and Internationally**
**ONE winner will be selected**
**Winners will have 48 HOURS to respond before a new winner is chosen**
**Be aware: Some content contained within the books are for a mature audience**


a Rafflecopter giveaway








E-Copies Giveaway Pile










1 E-copy: Aberrant by Ruth Silver
1 E-copy: Disneylanders by Kate Abbott
1 E-copy of Between by Cyndi Tefft
1 E-copy: The Undesirable by Sara Celi
1 E-copy: Life, Love & Lemons by
Magan Vernon
1 E-copy: Ratgirl: Song of the Viper
1 E-copy: Feudlings by Wendy Knight
1 E-copy: Feudlings in Sight by Wendy
Knight
1 E-copy: Fox Blood by Raquel Lyon
1 E-copy: Quake by Lisa Arrington
2 E-copies: Revival by Jena Leigh
2 E-copies: Book of Lost Souls by
Michelle Muto
2 E-copies: Don’t Fear the Reaper by
Michelle Muto
2 E-copies: Fire (Elements of Power, #1)
by Heather James
2 E-copies: Fire in the Blood (Last Moon
Rising Series,#1) by Dale Ibitz
2 E-copies: Strong Blood (Last Moon
Rising Series, #2)
2 E-copies: Scorching Secrets by Kaitlyn Hoyt
2 E-copies: Rewrite Redemption by J.H. Walker
3 E-copies: Parallel Visions by Cheryl
Rainfield
3 E-copies: Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
3 E-copies: Love Yourself/Sometimes You
Have To Be Your Own Hero by Cheryl Rainfield
3 E-copies: Straightjacket by Meredith Towbin
5 E-copies: Spooked by Tracy Sharp
10 E-copies: Cloud Nine by Melissa Smith

10 E-Copies: Taylor Made by Kary Rader




Terms and Conditions

**Must be 14 or older to enter**
**Opened U.S. and Internationally**
**Winners are chosen based on number of ecopies author has donated to be given away**
**Winners will have 48 HOURS to respond before a new winner is chosen**
**Be aware: Some content contained within the books are for a mature audience**




a Rafflecopter giveaway



Saturday, July 6, 2013

Update on Where I've Been & the YA Crossover to NA Event (June - July 2013)

http://www.rasaint.net/ - Glitter Graphics
Hey guys, I just wanted to give you a little update on why the blog has been so quiet for the last couple of weeks. About three weeks ago, I ended up breaking two bones in my left leg at a baby shower that I was at for a friend of my mom's. It wasn't bad enough that I needed surgery, so the orthopedic that I'm seeing just kept it in a boot since the bones were non-displaced and told me that walking on it a little bit would be the best way for the bones to heal back together properly. Needless to say, it hurts like hell and I've only just started walking around on it in the boot without my crutches for the last few days. So, this is kind of why you haven't seen the rest of the posts (author interviews, giveaways, etc.) for the YA Crossover to NA Event that was supposed to go up all throughout the month of June.

I can promise that starting Monday, the first of the rest of those posts will be going up and I will be extending the event to last throughout the duration of the posts that I have for it. I've already contacted a few of the author's and have made them aware of my situation and I will be contacting the rest of them within the next few days as well, to let them know that their posts will definitely still be going up on the blog. In the meantime, I have a couple of other announcements to share with you. :)

http://www.rasaint.net/ - Glitter Graphics
I wanted to go ahead and announced the winner's and their prizes for the first four giveaways that have been held during this event. To protect their privacy, I'm only going to use their first names and the prize that they've won, but I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who visited the blog and checked out these amazing authors and their awesome books. I hope that you found something that you liked or that I've somehow convinced you to give New Adult a chance.


  • Juliette won a beautiful copy of Hilary Graham's Reunited
  • Cleo won an awesome digital prize pack of the Element Preserver's series by Alycia Linwood.
  • Mary won a delicious e-copy of Strength by Carrie Butler.
  • Misti won a gorgeous finished copy of both Tempest and Vortex by Julie Cross.

I will be contacting the winners tomorrow, as well as contacting the author's and publicists once I hear back from the winners. Once again, congrats guys! I hope you enjoy all of your amazing prizes! And for the rest of you, don't worry there's still A LOT MORE to come in the next couple of weeks. So, stay tuned.

http://www.rasaint.net/ - Glitter Graphics
Just thought I'd share with you the agenda for this week, as far as the event goes!



  • Monday: Interview & Giveaway with Juliana Haygert (Signed Copy of Destiny Gift)

  • Tuesday: Interview & Giveaway with Nikki Jefford (e-Copy of Transfusion: Aurora Sky & signed Swag)

  • Wednesday: Interview & Giveaway with Faith Sullivan (e-Copy of Heartbeat)

  • Thursday: Interview & Giveaway with Jennifer Echols (Signed Copy of Reader's Choice)

  • Friday: Interview & Giveaway with Katie McGarry (Signed/Unsinged copy of Dare You To(International) and finished copy of Pushing the Limits (US only)

  • Saturday: Giveaway & Review of My Paper Heart by Magan Vernon



Alright guys, that about wraps up this update on where I've been, what's going on as far as the event goes, and the winners for the last few giveaways! It's gonna be an awesome jam-packed week coming up, so don't forget to stop by the blog everyday to check the giveaways, interviews, and reviews. You don't want to miss out on them, have a ton of super talented and amazingly wonderful authors.
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