Dark Genesis Blog Tour: Q&A + Giveaway

As part of the blog tour for Dark Genesis, I got the lucky opportunity to interview the author and bring you guys a super awesome giveaway!

Hi David, and thanks for making time for this interview! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My pleasure, Joie!  I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English and creative writing from St. Cloud State University.  I moved to the Milwaukee area about seven years ago, and that’s where I am currently, where I’m surrounded by books for my day job!

Where did you get the idea for your book, Dark Genesis?

I grew up reading hundreds of YA books, and there’s such a variety of forms of magic in novels and in movies, that I thought it would be cool to have a world where witches are separated into covens by the magic they use (astral projection, runes, pyrokinesis, etc). And years ago, my boyfriend and I talked about creating a comic book where a group of people travel to a world populated by monsters, so I sort of merged the two ideas into this one cool story.

(J: So. Dang. Cool.)

Did you learn anything from writing your book? If so, what is it?

To just have fun with my writing and not get too bogged down with particulars.  I did a massive rewrite after the first draft just because I got stuck on the idea of an arbitrary number of villains I came up with before I started writing.  I cut a lot out of the story and reworked it to focus more on the characters and the important aspects of the story that I wanted to tell.

If Dark Genesis were made into a movie, what would your dream cast be?

Naya Rivera (Santana on Glee) for Alyssa, Ian Somerhalder (Vampire Diaries) for Parker, Emma Roberts (Scream 4) as Vessa, Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) for Eric, and Angelina Jolie as The Ice Queen.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I’m a huge film buff, so I watch lots of movies, especially horror movies, and I’m an avid reader of YA as well as graphic novels.  I also enjoy jogging and getting sucked into some Real Housewives drama from time to time.

Which books/authors have influenced you the most?

I grew up with great admiration for L.J. Smith and Christopher Pike, so they are definitely the two key authors that have inspired me in my writing.  “The Vampire Diaries” and “Night World” in particular pushed me down the road to loving the paranormal.

Think fast! If you had to describe Dark Genesis in just three words, what would they be?

What makes identity.

Lightning round!

Ebook or paper book? 

Ebook.  I find myself reading at night most often, and it’s just easier to have an ereader in bed.

Early bird or night owl?  

Definitely a night owl.  I barely get any writing done while it’s still light out.

Tea or coffee?  

Tea.  My drink of choice is a London Fog, which is a mixture of Earl Grey Tea, milk and vanilla flavor.

Music when you write or no?  

Definitely.  Music probably inspires me more than anything.

Favorite genre to read?  

Probably horror.  I like being scared, and I think that being in horrible circumstances forces a character’s true colors to surface, and interesting things can happen.

Thanks so much for taking the time for this interview! Don't forget to check out Dark Genesis and add it on goodreads, and keep reading for a giveaway!

Dark Genesis
Publication date: March 18, 2013

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Alyssa opened her eyes to darkness. And in the first flash of light provided by a gathering storm, she could make out a ring of bodies surrounding her.

With no memory of who she is, Alyssa stumbles into a dark world populated by witches. The witches are powerful, and demonstrate frightening powers, but even more terrifying are the monsters who rule over the land. Vampires, werewolves and other awful creatures of the night have taken over, forcing the witches behind stone walls, afraid to venture outdoors. But Alyssa finds that as she kills certain monsters, memories return to her, memories of a life on Earth, and the boy she left behind.

The quest to collect her memories and piece together the puzzle of what has happened to her is a daunting one, with betrayals and sacrifices every step of the way. But Alyssa is determined to fight for a world that is not her own, destroying powerful monsters along the way, so that she can return home to the boy she is coming to love through the memories she recollects.

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Dracian Legacy Blog tour- deleted scene + giveaway

I'm super excited to have a stop on the Dracian Legacy blog tour, and today, I'm bringing you guys a special treat.

Dracian Legacy by Priya Kanaparti
Published February 14, 2013
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Ren and Axel are caught between two powerful magical races: one destined to end the bloodshed, the other out for vengeance. 

Seventeen-year-old Ren Pernell is prophesied to end the war between the Dracians and the Telalians. So when a Dracian, Axel Knight, is sent to find and bring back the prophesied one before she turns eighteen and Telalians discover of her existence, unexpected sparks start to fly between the two. Once Ren finds the truth behind Axel’s arrival, she wants everything to do with him and nothing to do with his mission.

Things prove to become difficult as Ren’s life is constantly threatened by the Goarders, humans who sold their souls, a Proxy Succubi, and the leader of the Telalians, who has been searching for her as well. 

With the clock ticking and Ren’s life in jeopardy, it is no longer just a mission for Axel. It becomes a personal endeavor to save the only one he’s ever loved. In a heart racing ending, they must find a way to evade the preordained war that won’t also end Ren’s life.

And now for the scene!

*****

Deleted Scene Chapter 25 –

Plane ride over to Chicago.

      I’d never been a fan of a flying. You’re doing this for Pey, I told myself. At least I got the window seat after winning the wrestling match against Dean. It wasn’t much of a fight when he realized the girl he would be snuggling next to for the next four hours was a Barbie Doll.

      Oh, she had the whole package. Perfect hair, the long dark batting eyelashes, big… chest.

      “Wow, I hope I don't get too jet lagged.” Barbie twirled her brown silky hair glancing at Dean.

      “Oh, where are you traveling?” Dean asked intrigued.

      “Chicago,” Barbie squeaked.

      “Okay, are you flying into Chicago from a different continent or something?” Dean raised a questioning eyebrow.

      “No... why? I live in Chicago.” She puffed up her upper body and leaned in toward Dean, giving him full view of her assets.

      I stifled a giggle.

      “Well, you said you hoped you don't get jet lagged… so I thought maybe Chicago was just a layover or...”

      “Oh, well that's because of the hour time zone difference between Chicago and Boise.”

      This time I faked a cough, trying to hide my laughter. Dean looked my way rolling his eyes.

      Nice! I mouthed to him.

      Once we landed, I shuffled into the aisle, grabbed bags and waited patiently for the doors to open. I somehow managed to get right behind Dean as Barbie attempted to flirt her way into Dean’s pants.

      “So, how about we hook up.” She ran her perfectly manicured finger down Dean’s chest, biting her lip suggestively. “What’s your number?” She looped her finger into the buckle loop of his jeans and tugged him flush against her.

      Wow, people actually do that with strangers?

      Dean hesitated.

      So I supplied his number. She turned toward me with a who the hell are you? look. I could tell she wanted to burn me alive, by the way she glared at me. I think I might have felt a flicker of heat against my skin. Not so good.

      I put up my hands like I was submitting to her wrath. “Oh, I’m not his girlfriend. As a matter of fact, he’s single.” I grinned at her. I yelped in pain when I felt a sharp pain on my waist. I stuck my tongue out at Dean.

      Once we’ve found out way to the hotel we were staying at, Dean cornered me, while the rest continued on their merry way.

      “What the hell was that for? You giving out my number.”

      “I was just trying to help my best friend.” I playfully pushed him with my index finger and Dean leaned into my personal space. He was close. Too close. “Plus, I thought Barbie’s efforts deserved your number.”

      “I don’t need help,” he snapped and walked away.

      What crawled up his ass?

*****

Wowza.
But wait, that's not all! As you might have read from the title, there's also a super awesome giveaway, courtesy of Priya. :)

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Make sure you check out the previous stop featuring a review by Sab the Book Eater, today's second stop at Young Adult and Teen Readers, and tomorrow's stops at Reading What I'm Reading and Book Reviews and More.

Review: Power

Title: Power (The Descendant Trilogy #1)
Author: Theresa M. Jones
Publication date: February 2013
Source: author

Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads

Thousands of years after the battle between the angels, when Lucifer was defeated by Michael in the Heavens, the war is still being fought on Earth by the humans who have their Power, the Angel’s Power. 

Allison Stevens is a 21 year old single mother who gets thrown into the middle of this battle when Damien, the Leader of the Rising, decides to hunt her down and kill her because he fears she is the descendant prophesied to save the world. 

David, a member of the Order, takes Allison under his wing in order to show her the ropes, and hopefully groom her into being the one they have been waiting for. The only problem is that they start to grow more attached than a teacher/student relationship should allow.

But that isn’t all. Damien wants to open the Seven Seals and bring about the apocalypse and it’s up to Allison to not only save herself and her family, but save the world, all while trying to keep her heart from breaking.

No problem… right?

Power follows the story of Allison, a 21-year-old single mother who, after a series of nightmares and painful power outbreaks, learns that she is gifted with power from the archangel Michael.

Now there have been quite a few Good vs. Evil (or Angels vs. Demons) types of books out there these past few years, but the concept of Power was surprisingly refreshing and kept me glued to the pages. Without a doubt, my favorite part about this book was learning about all the different abilities that these descendants of the Primitus had. What's more, I loved reading about how these descendants came to be about, how they became gifted with these special powers--not just them, I also enjoyed learning about how the bad guys, the leaders of the Rising, came to be. In this story, Jones has deftly weaved together elements of known Biblical stories with a touch of the supernatural to create a story that makes me want to jump into its pages and experience it for myself.

This book is written in shifting POVs, mainly between Allison, the main character, and David, the love interest, however there are also chapters told from the perspective of the bad guys. Normally, changing POVs really aren't my cup of tea, but somehow Jones has really made it work, made it into one of the books' strengths. I liked seeing the story unfold from multiple viewpoints and it also gave me more insight into each character's mind. Strangely enough, I ended up really liking reading from the villains' POV.......

Allison was a character that I don't often get to read about, mainly because I don't find many YA-ish books centering around a single mother. This facet of her character made her a lot more mature than I expected her to be. Overall, I thought she was a pretty strong character, though I couldn't help but think she had a few Mary-Sue characteristics.

Personally, I felt a little disconnected from the characters. As if I were watching everything unfold from an observable distance instead of actually experiencing it through the characters' hearts and minds. This disconnection might be attributed to the, at time, stiff and formal dialogue and an edge of instalove in the romance.

All in all: this was a good story! The plot was fast-paced, the supernatural element was really interesting to learn about, and the ending left me very curious to find out more about the world of the descendants.

The Nightmare Affair Blog Tour- Q&A with Mindee Arnett

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for creating a Nightmare?

The first time I ever came across a Nightmare as a creature was in a short story by one of my favorite fantasy authors, Jennifer Roberson. In her story, the “Nightmare” appears in the shape of a hellacious rodeo horse. Years later, as I was sitting down to do some brainstorming about potential monsters, I started to think about that story. A couple of Wikipedia searches later and I came across a picture of The Nightmare by John Henry Fuseli.  The moment I saw it, I asked myself what it would be like if the demon and woman were reversed.  And presto-change, the idea for Dusty was born.

The Nightmare by John Henry Fuseli

Q: Who was your favorite character to write about, and why?

Dusty is definitely my favorite character to write about. She sort of has to be because she’s the MC, and the story is in her voice. But my favorite non-MC character to write about is Dusty’s best friend and roommate Selene Rivers. Selene is a siren. Like all sirens, she’s utterly beautiful, but she dresses like a tomboy and spends a lot of her time campaigning against the sexual objectification of sirens in the magickind world. I love writing about her, because she’s cool and mysterious, but very smart, funny, and loyal to Dusty.

Q: If The Nightmare Affair were made into a movie, who would your dream cast be?

My dream Dusty has always been Molly Quinn. I think she’s so adorable and charming, but she can totally be a BAMF if she wants to. Also, her eyes are exactly how I imagine Dusty’s to be:

I’m going to cheat when it comes to Eli, because I’m just too damn old to lust after any actors of appropriate age to play him. I’ll leave that lusting up to the readers. And I can’t wait to see who they come up with!

Meanwhile, I’m going to pretend we can go back in time and snag a young Timothy Olyphant. This is what I imagine Eli might look like. Oh, and his character is a bit like a teenaged Raylan Givens from Justified—the kind of guy who might grow up to be a lawman with an outlaw side.

For Dusty’s best friend, Selene, I would pick Teresa Palmer only she would have to dye her hair black. Teresa’s mannerisms just remind me of Selene, the way she carries herself, her poise. It’s a nice fit

For Paul, I’m going to cheat again and go with a teenage Charlie Hunnam. Now, just who is Paul, you say? Well, all I’m going to tell you is that he’s an Arkwell student. You’ll have to wait for the book to find out more. It’s like River Song keeps saying to The Doctor: “Spoilers.” 

Q: Do you listen to music when you right? If so, what was your playlist for writing The Nightmare Affair?

I listen to music off and on when I write, but it’s primarily soundtracks. If I put in anything with lyrics, I tend to start singing along. But some of my favorite soundtracks to listen to when writing The Nightmare Affair are Sherlock (BBC) and Harry Potter. Really, even more than music, I tended to listen to Veronica Mars episodes a lot when writing. Sounds weird, I know, and I couldn’t do it all the time, but occasionally, listening to episodes really helped me get into the voice of the story.

But if you’re interested in a playlist about The Nightmare Affair, you can find it here. 

Q: Describe your book in three words.

Mystery, magic, and mayhem.

Thanks for such awesome questions! I had a blast.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview! I especially enjoyed seeing your casting picks! :)
Don't forget to check out Mindee's debut novel, The Nightmare Affair. 

Guest Post with Stephanie Wardrop--Advice Column for Characters

The Alt

LONGBOURNE HIGH SCHOOL’S ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER

Mainstream newspapers had their advice-dispensing twins, Dear Abby and Ann Landers.  We’ve got the Tell-Me-Your-Troubles Twins, freshmen Cassie and Leigh Barrett, here to answer all of your questions about life, love, and everything in between.

Dear Trouble Twins:

My boyfriend is great but he sticks to the “bros before ho’s” code too much.  Any time one of his boys calls, he’s off for a night of football, beer, and farting – even if we’ve already made plans!  Help!

--Lovelorn in Longbourne

Leigh:  I don’t want to be harsh, but no guy who calls a girl a “ho” is worth dating.  Jesus loved Mary Magdalene but your boyfriend is not treating with you the same respect.  You should look for a nicer, more polite boy, maybe at a church youth event.  That’s where I found mine! J

Cassie:  Ugh.  Assuming you don’t want to date a total dweeb like my sister suggests, you might want to see what you can do to keep your man focused on you and not on beer pong.  There’s a sale at Victoria’s Secret.  That’s a good start.

Dear Trouble Twins:

I follow lots of celebs on Twitter and tweet them all the time.  How can I get them to tweet me back?

--Tweety Bird

Leigh:  I’m not even sure what you’re talking about, but if it’s an internet thing you’re referring to, you’d be better off picking up a good book.  Or the Good Book.

Cassie:  As with all things boy-related (and I assume this is), the key to success is persistence.  And cleavage.  Why not post a pic of you in a yummy bikini?

EDITORS’ NOTE:  The advice offered in this column in no way reflects the views of The Alt staff and in some cases is downright opposed to it. Take it at your own risk.

About the author:
Stephanie Wardrop grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania where she started writing stories when she ran out of books to read.  She’s always wanted to be a writer, except during the brief period of her childhood in which piracy seemed like the most enticing career option -- and if she had known then that there actually were “girl” pirates way back when, things might have turned out very differently.  She currently teaches writing and literature at Western New England University  and lives in a town not unlike the setting of Snark and Circumstance with her husband, two kids, and five cats.  With a book out – finally – she might be hitting the high seas any day now.


About the book:

Title: Snark and Circumstance
Publication date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Swoon Romance

One superior smirk from Michael Endicott convinces sixteen-year-old Georgia Barrett that the Devil wears Polo. His family may have founded the postcard-perfect New England town they live in, but Georgia’s not impressed. Even if he is smart, good looking, and can return Georgia’s barbs as deftly as he returns serves on his family’s tennis courts. After all, if Michael actually thinks she refuses to participate in lab dissections just to mess with his grade, he’s a little too sure that he’s the center of the universe. Could there be more to Michael Endicott than smirks and sarcasm? If Georgia can cut the snark long enough, she just might find out.

The Gifted Ones Blog Tour Stop- excerpt

"Wake up, Momma. You can wake up now; you can come back to me; it's safe,
really. I really need you, especially now. At least give me a sign you can hear me,
Momma, please?" a tear rolled down his soft, plum cheek, but her eyes were dry,
motionless and tightly closed. When no sign came, he scooted back in the chair, folded his hands together, set his elbows on the edge of the bed and bowed his

head in silent prayer, something he hadn't done in months, since he had given up on her… on life.

Title: The Gifted Ones: The Fairytale
Author: P. G. Shriver
Publisher: Gean Penny
Pages: 274
Blurb:

Thrown together by the cruelties of a modern day world in which genuine compassion is rare, evil abounds, and goodness is often tainted by the fight to survive, two unusually gifted teenagers
discover they are linked by a fairytale told them repeatedly throughout their youth by their late mothers. Destiny awaits them, but first they must locate the others, as the fairytale foretells, to defeat
the evil monster who waits and change the lonely world in which they live. Only then will they find peace... and family.

About P. G. Shriver

Born in California, and raised in Minnesota and Texas, P.G. spent her early years writing poetry and winning poetry contests, while escaping the drama in her own childhood by reading great books for children. Ever since her earliest days, she loved story telling. She wrote numerous short stories in High School and her early college years, continually trying to relive that first experience at the age of seven of seeing her name in print in the local newspaper.

P.G. sought her education at the University of Texas, where she studied English, literature, and Education. During the entire process of earning her BA and M.Ed, she never stopped writing and trying to be published. It was during this time that her first children's book No More Stinkbugs! was accepted for publication by Castle Keep Press. Many of her stories develop from nature.

P.G. graduated college and began her career in education, another great world that offered real experiences to humor and delight through children's books. She watched children interact, bringing to surface her own experiences as a child and yet more events to write about. While teaching, she discovered many great books for young people, such as The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, Maniac Magee, So. B. It and many more. She is a fan of Dean Koontz novels, too, and loves reading fantasy and paranormal books.

P.G. was married 20 years in March 2012 and has a bright, young daughter who has begun her own college career. She lives on a small farm in Texas with her family and animals. P.G. has experienced great love and loss throughout her life. Those her family has lost have dedications in her books.

P.G. has two young adult books published, Dead Perfect and The Gifted Ones: The Fairytale the first book in The Gifted Ones Trilogy. She also has several children's books written under Gean Penny, her pseudonym. P. G.

has since dissolved her contract for her first book with Castle Keep Press and moved the title to her own imprint, Gean Penny Books.

Author Links:

Goodreads I Authorcentral I Purchase I Website I Blog I Facebook I Twitter

Quintana of Charyn Blog Tour-- Book Excerpt + Giveaway

Okay, if you've been following my posts for a while, then you know that I am OBSESSED with all things Melina Marchetta. Not only is she the queen of contemporary, her new fantasy series is absolutely fantastic! And I normally don't even like fantasy all that much!! I've done a review of Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles and now I am SO excited to bring to you an excerpt from the last book in the trilogy, Quintana of Charyn.

"And on that night, Finnikin travelled with a heavy heart, his thoughts on his childhood friend, Balthazar. Because the loyal friendship he had shared with Froi had become just as fierce over the years. Lucian would have agreed. Froi reminded them both of how they had been before Balthazar’s death. They were more carefree in his presence. Content. But all that was gone now.

‘They’re not safe here,’ Trevanion muttered when they reached the border. ‘There’s an army camped somewhere close back there. Probably for one of them.’

‘Not our problem,’ Finnikin said, steering his horse towards the river that would take them across to Osteria and then home.

‘Froi made his choice. He’s dead to Lumatere.’"

My response to this excerpt:

About the book:

There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves


Add it on Goodreads!
Quintana is already out in Australia, but you can preorder on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. You can also just buy it from Fishpond with free shipping! :)

And now for the giveaway!!

*International
*Entrants must be 13 years or older
*Hosts will not be responsible for loss/damage of goods while in shipment
*Winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to reply or another will be drawn

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Be sure to check out these awesome blogs for more posts about Quintana of Charyn!

November 1

132 Minutes - Book Chat

Joie de Lire - Excerpt

November 2

Bookittyblog - Review

A Girl Books and Other Things - Top Five

November 3

Carina's Books - Review

Whole Lotta Mama! - 

November 4

WinterHaven Books - Review + Giveaway

We Fancy Books - Excerpt

November 5

Joyous Reads - Shelf Envy + Giveaway
 Love is not a triangle - Review

November 6

Collections - Fanart

The Ink Spills - Review

November 7
A Book and a Short Latte - Series Cast

The Readers Den - Excerpt + Giveaway

November 8

The Fairytale Nerd -

VeganYANerds - 

November 9

GrowingUp YA -
132 Minutes - Wrap-up Post 

Blog Tour: The Super Spud Trilogy giveaway + review

Title: The Super Spud Trilogy
Author: Michael Diack
Publication Date: May 2012
Publisher: Pen Press

Genetic engineering has accomplished many things, one of which has been to create the Super Spud! The humble potato elevated to new heights, creating the most flavoursome crisps ever known to humankind! But that's not all - A magical transformation occurs to all Super Spud crisps not eaten before their use-by date. They take on a life of their own. And so long as they remain undetected by humans, they enjoy life in their own Super Spud cities, take part in major Super Spud sporting events and even start the odd Super Spud war or two. Join Colin, Cougar, Hannibal Vector, Generals Rock, Jock and Strap and all the others in their rollicking adventures. You'll never look at a packet of crisps in the same way again! 

Rule 1:
Once a Super Spud is placed and sealed into its packet, the package cannot be punctured in any way. if that happens, the Super Spud dies.

Rule 2:
Once the package is sealed, if the Super Spud is seen with its facial features by a human, or heard talking by a human, the Super Spud automatically dies.

Rule 3:
If a Super Spud has not been opened by its use-by date, it can grow arms and legs--but if seen by a human, subsequently dies.

With these three rules, I was thrust into this strange and clever world crafted by Michael Diack.
I honestly cannot remember the last time I read a book that was so quirky and silly and just plain funny. Amidst stressful days of tests, AP classes, and SAT prep, daily doses of this book gave me comic relief and prevented me from completely losing my mind!

The idea of this book is very light-hearted and a bit silly, but Diack's writing is wonderful and the imagination and creativity that went into creating the world of the Super Spud was amazing--just the little details, like their mode of transportation, Super Spud hierarchy, and their entertainment choices, were all addressed!

The concept of genetically modified potatoes was really interesting--I really liked how the different flavors of Super Spud determined their personalities--and Diack executed the story with humor that was hilarious, but surprisingly cynical! I myself was especially intrigued by the Super Spuds' reactions to death.

Rating: 3.75 stars*

All in all:
This was a really clever and utterly unique story, and I think it would appeal to both teens and adults alike. And I can't wait to read more from Michael Diack!

*I received a copy of this book for review from the author. All opinions are my own.


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