Are You Ready to Embrace? Blog tour, Author Guest post, Giveaway

I'm thrilled to be hosting Jessica Shirvington's Embrace on the blog today!

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…” 

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Now Available!!!

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before. 

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden… 

My Thoughts:

I devoured this book! I consider Embrace to be one of those books that you'll reread over and over again, I just didn't want it to end (thank God it's part of a series haha).

Violet is a great protagonist whom readers will easily relate to. She's strong and independent with a sensible head on her shoulders and is tough when she needs to be. I enjoyed her interaction, or lack thereof, with her father. I felt the disconnect that Shrivington was trying to convey with these two characters.

Lincoln and Pheonix are the perfect potential love interests for Violet. They both have their own reasons for wanting her but their personalities are polar opposites to each other (giving Violet many options in the romance department). If for no other reason you must read Embrace for this love triangle alone! Seriously, it had me envious of Violet :). While I loved both men I have to say I'm ultimately Team Lincoln all the way!

Warning! There is some sexual content in this book, nothing graphic but I would recommend it to a mature 14+ audience.

I cannot recommend this book enough, it had me up into all hours of the night (I was pretty cranky at work the following day but it was worth it haha). If you like a good YA read with strong character building and an even stronger romance this is definitely a must for you!!!

Bring on Entice right now, please!

Happy Reading!!!

And now please help welcome Jessica to the blog today, for a guest post!

Falling In Love At 17

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love … more complicated.

At 17, life is about new experiences. It is about self-discovery, friends, adventure, mistakes, career and university choices. And let’s be honest, there are not many 17 year olds out there that aren’t interested in falling in love.

But how many are truly interested in falling in love with THE ONE at 17?

I’m not sure I was. In fact, I probably wasn’t. I was planning to take the world by storm – solo. So when I met Matt, well, actually … it was pretty darn amazing. But it was a little frightening too.

When we first got together, it was sweet and young and … perfect. I was head over heels. But things became complicated quickly. He was an up and coming athletic star and I was working in hospitality. So basically he worked hard in the day, and I worked hard at night. His lifestyle demanded routine and healthy living, mine … not so much. But we were determined to make it work.

Falling in love so deeply at a young age made it difficult to be as reckless as our friends. We watched them coast in and out of short, fun, but meaningless relationships and it just seemed so different to what we had.

Writing the Embrace series has been an opportunity for me to pour some of the incredibly intense emotions of young love into Violet’s story. It has been important for me as a writer, and a person, to recognize that it’s completely realistic for someone at her young age to experience the full effect and heartbreak of love. Violet is one hundred percent invested with her heart. She makes bad choices, but we have to. She regrets many of her decisions, because we all do. And she fights for what she loves, because she is compelled to. Violet’s story is unique to her, I don’t pull on parallel scenarios from my own life, but I do pull on the emotion of intense love. Love that I think adults sometimes forget that 17 and 18 years-olds are very capable of feeling.

I often find one question helps a lot of adults, who maybe disagree with this view, to be more open minded: Do you remember you first true love? Do you ever wonder what your life would’ve been like if you had stayed together? For some, the answer is a resounding NOT INTERESTED, but for others … the pause says it all.

Matt and I celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary in March - I believe jewelry is in order ;)

And last but certainly not least, a giveaway. Sourcebooks Fire has generously donated a copy of Embrace for one lucky winner! Please refer to restrictions and policy page for rules and regulations.
Good luck to all! :)

Blue Sky Days Blog Tour: Review and Author Interview

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry
Now Available!
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time. 

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be. 

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.


My Thoughts:


This is a great coming of age novel that many teens and newly-twenty-year-olds can relate to. I enjoyed Emma as a character and was sympathetic to her uncertainty of the future- not everyone knows what they want to do with the rest of their life at nineteen, and on a personal note: who says that you have to decide to be or do one thing in your life, am I right? :)


Emma has always worked hard and kept her nose in the books throughout high school, and in turn, missed out on a lot of social aspects that your teen years have to offer: first party, first kiss etc. But I think the point or moral rather, of this story, is that we shouldn't live in the past or with regrets all we can do is live in the present and look forward to the future. Am I sounding corny right now haha?


Nicholas is a one of a kind, no seriously, please tell me if you have ever known a man more perfect than him. He has a lot to deal with, but he always remains positive and appreciates the life he has been given. It's impossible to be in a bad mood while reading this character. He's just so amazing inside and out, and I think that Emma was lucky to find him :). 


Speaking of, the romance between these two was so special and sweet, it reminded me of the couple from The Notebook, the way their innocent love bloomed. They compliment each other so well to the point of not knowing which is the "better half".


There were a couple things that irked me about this book though. Nothing major, but I couldn't fully understand the relationship (or lack there of) that Emma and her Mom shared. I didn't really appreciate the way Emma put her Mom down, especially to her younger sister. It just didn't seem right to me and I actually found myself sympathizing with Tilly. The second aspect that irked me, and you all may laugh at me cause this is a completely subjective pet peeve of mine and I see it done in lots of book- YA and Adult, is that Emma referred to her Dad as "Daddy" I mean come one seriously your nineteen and you're calling your Dad, Daddy- It creeps me out! :) Haha, but like I said before, this is a subjective thing, I just think if you're over nine-years-old, you should stop calling your father, Daddy.


With all that said, this is a great and fast read that will leave in you in the best possible mood, because no matter what curveballs life throws at you, there will always be "Blue Sky Days" ahead.


Happy Reading!!!

And now folks, will you please join me in welcoming Marie to the blog today!

1. How long did it take you to write Blue Sky Days?

When I first wrote it seven years ago, it took me a month. When I brought it back out in 2011 and decided to work on it (it was only about 34,000 words, and needed a lot of work), it took me another month to rewrite it, then several months to do revisions and editing.

2. What inspired you to write Blue Sky Days?

A lot of little things, and because it was so long ago, I can’t remember which came first. I know I had the idea for Emma’s character, and then Nicholas’s character, and they were very clear in my mind. The cancer storyline was something that was probably inevitable since my dad had leukemia when I was little. I think the ideas really came together when a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, because it wasn’t long after that that I started writing Blue Sky Days.

3. If you could describe Blue Sky Days in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

A lost and lonely girl searching for her place in life, and finding it in the most unexpected places.

4. What character from BSD do you relate to most? Why?

Definitely Emma. Unlike her, I had a wonderful mother and a few great friends growing up, but I was also a little lost and lonely and unsure. Like Emma, I put a lot of pressure on myself in school, and sometimes wondered what I had to show for it other than good grades.

5. Do you plan to keep BSD as a standalone?

I had always intended for it to be a standalone, but once it was finished I got a few ideas for a companion novel. Not necessarily a sequel, although that’s a possibility, too. I’m not going to say anymore than that…except that if it did happen, it wouldn’t be for a while, because I have several other projects on the go.

6. What challenges did you face with self-publishing?

For starters, the whole stigma that still surrounds it. It used to be that only hacks and wannabes self-published, but now there are a lot of people with real talent doing it. Still, there are those who write a book, don’t give much thought to plot or character development or all the other important aspects of storytelling, and then don’t bother having their work edited before publishing it. That’s why the stigma still remains, and those people give us all a bad name.

It was also difficult doing it all on my own - finding beta readers, proofreaders, and an editor, going through the book dozens of times myself, designing the cover and book trailer, doing the formatting, and then doing the marketing and promotion. It’s a ton of work, and it’s a good thing I’ve always been the Jack of all trades type, or it would have cost me a fortune to have someone else do it all for me.

7. Do you have any advice to offer those just starting out in the publishing industry?

Work hard, find a support system, and never give up. Writing isn’t easy; it’s a long, solitary process that can make you crazy. There are a lot of obstacles for many people, but if it’s something you love and something you’re passionate about, don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The indie community as a whole is very supportive of each other, so make friends and connections, ask for help, and if you really want to do it, give it all you’ve got.

Thank you for having me here today Hayley, it’s been a pleasure!

Thank you so much for stopping by Marie, and thank you for introducing us Emma and Nicholas!

To purchase your own copy of Blue Sky Days:

Links:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sky-Days-ebook/dp/B006U97B20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325915568&sr=8-1

SMASHWORDS: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120238

Shift Blog Tour and Giveaways

Shift (Shade #2)- Aura's Heart is torn in two.....
Pub Date: May 3/11

Summary curtesy of Goodreads:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

SHIFT BLOG TOUR POST-RELEASE!

Ok guys I would just like to say how excited I am to be participating in a 2ND blog tour this week! My first two tours EVER in one week- how cool is that?! So we are now in the Post-Shifters phase of the blog tour and there is still time to leave comments on the participating blogs' pages (when you comment on a blog-tour-post you're entered to win one of TWO Copies of SHIFT!)
Please be aware that each contest is only 24 hours long so be sure to enter right away so you don't miss an opportunity! As well, once you've left a comment on one or more blogs, you're automatically entered in the BIG PRIZE at the end of the tour. This prize includes a SIGNED GALLEY of the third Shade book- there will NOT be any ARCs of this book, so this is a huge deal to win peeps.
Here's the list of remaining blogs left on the tour- Each one will be holding there own contest

Wednesday, May 4: Mundie Moms – Interview with Jeri
Thursday, May 5: Postmortem (Jackie Morse Kessler) – Death Interviews Logan
Friday, May 6: Books, Sweets and Other Treats – Group Interview with Zachary by the "Fab 4": Books, Sweets and Other Treats, Bookworms Haven, Booking it with Hayley G, and BrookeWorm
Sunday, May 8: Just Another Book Blog – SHIFT Review
Monday, May 9: YA Book Queen – Interview with Jeri
Tuesday, May 10: The Book Junkies – Guest post: SHIFT playlist and Writing with Music
Wednesday, May 11: For What It's Worth - Wrapup and grand prize giveaway



Hurry and enter guys- enter each day if you want! It'll only increase your chances of winning.


Please note: You're free to leave a comment here, as always, but any comments left on this post will not be counted toward any of Shift giveaways or the MAJOR giveaway. Comments left on the underlined or blue highlighted blogs above, will only be counted for these prizes.


Good luck all and happy commenting!http://jackiemorsekessler.com/blog/

Hard Bitten Blog Stop and GIVEAWAY!

CONGRATULATIONS TO minhchieu ACCORDING TO RADOM.ORG YOU HAVE WON THE HARD BITTEN SWAG PACK! I WILL EMAIL CHLOE TO NOTIFY HER.



Today, Booking It With Hayley G is the blog stop on the Hard Bitten Blog Tour this is my first time participating in a blog tour, so I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Chloe Neill for the opportunity!

O and please take note: 2 DAYS TIL HARD BITTEN IS RELEASED (proceed to squeal now haha)

Everyone please join me in welcoming Chloe to the blog today!

How long did it take you to get Some Girls Bite published? Was it hard? Easy?

I was very lucky in that finding a publisher for SGB was very easy. I finished the manuscript, spent about 6 months
editing, and sent it to one editor--Penguin. They eventually called me up! But I can't stress the "6 months editing" bit
enough. Especially if you don't write professionally or haven't had your work critiqued by a professional before, the
editing is crucial.

What inspired your story and the character Merit?

I was really interested in writing a vampire story from a girl's perspective--with a female vampire in the lead. Once I had
a sense of who Ethan was, I knew who I wanted Merit to be, because she's his foil in a number of ways.

Ethan is completely drool worthy- do you have a favourite hero from another author's series that you consider so
sinfully bad, that he must be good?

Adam Black from Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series is one of my favorite bad boy characters. He is so deliciously
bad. :)  Algiarept from Kim Harrison's Hollows series is another favorite bad boy (who might be a hero?).

How far do you plan to take the Chicago Vampire series?

There are currently 7 books under contract, but I'll keep writing them as long as people keep reading them.

Do you have any favourite authors you like to read or, perhaps, have inspired your writing?

Kim Harrison is a favorite, as is Diana Gabaldon. I read a lot of nonfiction right now, especially travel books. I love
learning about new places.

How different is it to write YA fiction as oppose to adult? Is it harder? More exciting?

YA fiction is harder because more rules apply. The kids have to be in school, they're too young to drive (mine are,
anyway), and I can't swear as much. :)

If you were a Chicago vampire, which master's house would you choose to pledge allegiance to?

Definitely Cadogan, although I definitely have respect for Scott Grey, as well. Morgan, not so much. Maybe when he's
older. ;)

Do you have any advice for young writers trying to make it in the industry?

Keep reading. Keep writing. Don't try to "be published." Try to write a great story.

Thanks for your time Chloe and keep on writing so I can continue reading! Haha

Thanks for having me!

Book summary from Goodreads:

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals--and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are ... tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society--a world full of vampires who seem too ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands..

*Note Hard Bitten is the fourth instalment in the Chicago Vampires series the first three are available in paperback and e-book format

The fun doesn't end here folks! Chloe has generously donated a fun Hard Bitten gift pack that will go to one lucky winner on this blog!

In order to enter you must be a follower and leave a comment on this post. If you want to earn extra points feel free to tweet about the contest (but be sure to @chloeneill and @HayleyAG)

This contest will run until Wednesday, May 4th midnight- I'll announce the winner Thursday May 5th after 12pm.

Please allow 2-4 weeks for your prize to be delivered to you. This contest is open to US/Canada followers. Good luck everyone!

And big thanks to Chloe again!

Happy Reading all!