Cut Me Free Blog Tour: Interview and Giveaway

I have a very special post for today. It's special not because this is my first ever post this 2015. It's not also special because it's a part of a blog tour (which you all know, I only do for books I'm really excited for and/or books I love). No. This post is special because it's about a book unlike any other. It delves deeper than your average suspense thriller and I'm very happy to have J.R. Johansson here for an interview.

Title: Cut Me Free
Author: J.R. Johansson
Publisher: Farrar, Strous & Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Now she's trying to start a new life, but while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks.

That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the threatening notes left in her apartment—without a trace of entry. As the messages grow more menacing, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.

About the Author:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

J.R. Johansson is the author of Insomnia and Paranoia. In researching for this novel, she found several stories about human trafficking which fueled her conviction to join the fight against it. If you'd like information on how to help visit notforsalecampaign.org or enditmovement.com. J.R. Johansson lives on the foothills of the Utah mountains with her two young sons and a wonderful husband. Visit her online at jennjohansson.com.

Interview

1. What makes Cut Me Free different from your Night Walkers series, aside from their genre?

Cut Me Free is darker in theme and topics and set in the real world. They both have a similar pace and thriller tone, but I'd say that Cut Me Free is a little scarier. 

2. What are Charlotte's greatest strength and her weaknesses?

Her greatest strength is her resilience and her ability to never give up. Her greatest weakness is her inability to forgive herself and her struggle with letting anyone help her or get close to her.

3. While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story. If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I never doubted this story, but I did struggle with it. Abuse of any kind is a very difficult subject to talk about...but at the same time, it's very important that we do talk about it. That fact drove me forward. I read stories of kids who've been abused and many never really tried to hide it, but still no one ever asked them if they needed help. I wanted to write the story of a victim who wasn't only a victim. I want us to be more aware of the world around us. There are kids out there that need help and it is important we be able to see and be ready to help. 

4. Everything has an origin story. It might started out as a thought, a dialogue or news you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite some time. So tell us, what's Cut Me Free's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

Cut Me Free actually started as a writing prompt in a critique group. Someone suggested that I should write a story about an attic with a creepy puppet in it. At the same time, I had been reading about child trafficking and how it's far more common than many realize. Somehow I ended up blending those two stories together and the puppet took on a different meaning. The moment I wrote the first page (which is still the first page) and had Piper in the heart of Philadelphia and how differently she saw everything than the people around her--in that instant, I knew I had to write this book. 

5. What are the things you learned or discovered after writing this book?

I've already had readers reach out to me who were victims of abuse. They were grateful to see a victim who struggled with terrible things, but it didn't somehow make her weak. It took her a long time to get out and the ramifications of what happened to her never went away, but she didn't let her abusers steal her whole life. It's been really gratifying to see the book touch people. I'm so happy to be a part of that.

Follow the Tour

Each of the tour stop is giving away one copy of Cut Me Free so feel free to visit them for more chance to win JR Johansson's newest book.

January 13: Review and Giveaway
 Curling Up with a Good Book

January 14: Guestpost and Giveaway
 YA Interrobang

January 15: Review and Giveaway
 Dana Square

January 16: Review and Giveaway
 My Book Muse

January 21: Books for YA

January 22: Forever Bookish

January 23: The Life & Times of a Book Addict

January 26: A Dream Within a Dream

January 27: Fiction Freak

GIVEAWAY

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2AMC: Bethany Crandell, author of Summer on the Short Bus

Summer on the Short Bus got a lot of positive reviews from bloggers and authors I admire and I'm very lucky to interview the author here today.  Let us all welcome, Bethany Crandell.

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I didn’t have any doubts about this book until after I wrote it. And even then I didn’t doubt the work but whether or not it was a story people would want to read. The querying process (both in finding an agent and a publisher) is one of the most humbling, skin-thickening experiences I’ve ever faced, and when the rejections started piling up it definitely took a toll on my confidence. Still, I knew deep down I loved my story even if nobody else did--that was enough to keep me showing up for more the next day.

About Getting Published:

As an aspiring author, hearing about how authors got published is always fascinating and inspiring for me. So can you tell us your journey to publication? And what was the first thing you did or said after you got the news about the book deal? 

Like most authors I know, my journey involved a lot of crying, praying, threatening and drinking. (You’d be surprised what someone will agree to publish when you leave a ransom note for their cat. #kidding) I don’t remember the specifics of what went down right after I got the official “offer”, but I assure you there was a lot of squealing, ugly/happy crying, dancing celebrating involved.

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book? 

It feels exactly like my pre-published life; except there are more dirty dishes sitting in the sink at the end of the day. Not sure what that’s about….

My favorite moment so far would have to be the night my ARCs arrived in the mail. My sister and I sat on my front porch stoop, each armed with a glass of champagne, and laughed at how awesome and ridiculous all of this was.

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also has an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

I have no idea where it came from, but my book evolved from a title I couldn’t seem to shake, THE SHORT BUS FOLLIES. I knew I had to write it when the voices in my head (the characters) became too loud to ignore.

About the Author:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Bethany lives in San Diego with her husband, two kiddos, and a chocolate lab who has no regard for personal space. She’s slightly obsessed with John Hughes movies, avocados, and inappropriate laughter. She’s represented by Rachael Dugas at Talcott Notch Literary Services.

Title: Summer on the Short Bus
Genre/s: YA, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository

Summary:

Spoiled, Versace-clad Cricket Montgomery has seventeen years of pampering under her belt. So when her father decides to ship her off to a summer camp for disabled teens to help her learn some accountability, Cricket resigns herself to three weeks of handicapped hell.

Her sentence takes a bearable turn as she discovers the humor and likeability of the campers and grows close to fellow counselors. Now, if she can just convince a certain Zac Efron look-alike with amazing blue eyes that she finally realizes there's life after Gucci, this summer could turn out to be the best she's ever had.

Summer on the Short Bus is a very non-P.C., contemporary YA with a lot of attitude, tons of laughs, and a little life lesson along the way.

Giveaway
Open Internationally as long as TBD can send to your country
(Until November 13)

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2AMC: Rin Chupeco, author of The Girl from the Well

Today is the start of our 2nd Author's Month Celebration and our first featured author here is a fellow Filipina, whose debut novel, The Girl from the Well, was described as "A chilling, bloody ghost story that resonates." by Kirkus Reviews.  Let us all welcome, Rin Chupeco.

About Writing:

While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?

I would like to put this out there: you are not a writer unless you've experienced your own crippling personal demons of self-loathing. There will be days when you are going to love your book, and there will be days when you'll think it's crap, and the cycle repeats itself with every book you write - regardless of whether you finish it or not, regardless of whether it sees publication or otherwise. This doesn't mean your book is bad, it just means that sometimes you can find the writing process frustrating.

In my case, I wanted to write a book from a perspective few writers tend to go for, in a style most might not have opted for, with a setting and genre that hasn't had a lot of representation in the young adult market. It's experimental, especially for a debut, so you can imagine the worrying I went through. But I also tend to trust my gut instinct, and I knew this was the story I wanted to tell. Plus, it is very good to find support for your work, and I have that with agents, editors, friends and family, even strangers who liked it and went out of their way to tell me so. Once you get used to the idea that there are people who honestly believe in your work, it gets easier.

Also: ice cream helps a lot. Bonus happy points for gelato.

About Getting Published:

As an aspiring author, hearing about how authors got published is always fascinating and inspiring for me. So can you tell us your journey to publication? And what was the first thing you did or said after you got the news about the book deal?

I think I had it easier than some writers - I wrote THE GIRL FROM THE WELL in three months, spent a month or so revising, then sent it out to agents. I had a few offers a couple of months after that, and finally signed with my agents, Nicole LaBombard and Rebecca Podos, from the Rees Agency. We spent two or three more months revising again, then sent them out to publishers. I got three offers a few months later (this was when Hurricane Sandy hit New York, so there were delays), and signed on with Sourcebooks! Given that I don't share the same continent as my agent or publisher, I'm surprised at how smoothly the whole process ran.

After I accepted the offer, I just sat around in a daze for several minutes, - but it was a happy kind of daze. I'm also very proud of the fact that I started working on a second book almost right after - that's one of the first things that came to mind was "well, in that case I better start writing the next one!" The offer made me realize this was what I wanted to do for a living, but that I still had to work hard for it, even after this milestone!

About Being an Author:

Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?

In many ways, being a published author is a lot like being an unpublished author, except you get some money out of it, and people pay attention to you now when you tell them you're a writer. Otherwise, the basics remain the same - get the newest book done, revise, get your agent to like it, revise, get a publishing house to like it, revise and revise. Did I mention revising?

Having people I don't know approaching me and telling me that they liked my book is my favorite out of everything that has happened. The most important thing about being a writer for me is getting your story out there and heard, so that was a very big high.

About the Book:

Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also has an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might started out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?

I was once a slave working for a startup mobile programming company. Fortunately, their office was in one of the oldest buildings in the city's financial district, which meant other people working in other offices tend to crap their pants while they're waiting for the elevator - only for it to open and have me standing inside it. (I work overtime a lot, and I look like the conventional Japanese lady ghost being touted in Asian horror movies). They got used to me in time, and I'm a free woman now, but I found the concept of a 'good' ghost interesting enough to attempt to write about, knowing no one's ever written something like this from that perspective in the young adult genre!

About the Author:

Website | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads

Despite an unsettling resemblance to Japanese revenants, Rin always maintains her sense of humor. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. She’s been a travel expert, an events executive, and a technical writer, but now writes weird things for a living. 

Title: The Girl From The Well
Genre: YA Horror, Paranormal
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: August 5, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Summary:

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night. 

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

The Girl from the Well is a YA Horror novel pitched as "Dexter" meets "The Grudge", based on a well-loved Japanese ghost story.

Giveaway

Le Rules:

• Open Internationally and for Philippine Residents
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends October 31, 2014

INT

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PH only

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@StrangeChem Author Slambook: Amalie Howard + Giveaway

Author Bio
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn¹t entirely convinced which takes more guts. She received a bachelor¹s degree from Colby College in Maine in International Studies and French, and a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children.

She is the author of The Aquarathi series from Harlequin TEEN (Waterfell and Oceanborn), The Almost Girl from Strange Chemistry, Alpha Goddess from Sky Pony Press, and Bloodspell from Langdon Street Press. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.com.

Favorites

1. What is your favorite color? Red

2. Favorite food? Medium-rare filet mignon

3. Favorite movie of all time? The Fifth Element

4. Favorite song? Favorite song of the moment is Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey

5. Favorite book of all time? Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

All about Writing

1. How did your interest in writing originated?

A voracious reader from a young age, I began writing when I started reading on my own, probably around six. I was always scribbling some story or another into a journal. I had my first poem published when I was 12 and I won an award in a global youth writing competition when I was 15. That said, I did take a bit of a circuitous route after college to pursue a successful sales career in global telecommunications for thirteen years, and I got to travel the world during that career, which I loved. But now I’m all about the writing.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I try to write everyday. A word count goal is always useful because if you treat it like something you have to do, then you get into the habit of writing something daily. And when you start to deal with writing deadlines, you’ll be grateful for that habit. That said, when I’m inspired, that can totally change. If I’m on a roll, I just go. It really depends on when those creative juices get going. Lately, with book promotion taking up so much of my time, I’ve had to allocate specific time for working on my WIP. I think structure is important; otherwise I’d be on social media all day long. Admittedly, I have procrastination issues.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?

I am a bit of a pantser by nature (I write by the seat of my pants) and my books tend to be very character driven as a result. I enjoy letting my characters take me on their journey, instead of forcing them on a path that I’ve pre-mapped out for them. I like to be surprised when something happens that I don’t expect. In general, I do write a skeleton-type outline just to keep track of my overall story arc, but I do not write detailed outlines. Unless, of course, I owe a contracted synopsis to my editor, which is an entirely different story.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?

In The Almost Girl, the hardest was to get the ins and outs of jumping between universes just right. Readers are such savvy creatures, and a loose end or implausible plot-hole can unravel your entire story. Pushing the boundaries of possibility still requires tethering to an explainable reality. The easiest part was the fight scenes. They were so fun to write. Riven in The Almost Girl is so kickass that I get a total adrenaline rush when writing any scene where she takes out the bad guys. She’s fierce. And I haven’t even mentioned the swords …

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I read, and I indulge my love for good food. I also enjoy ocean surfing or any outdoor sports, and I’m addicted to movies. I also like spending time with my family.

Finish the sentence

1. The difference between fiction and reality is whatever you want it to be.

2. Research is what I'm doing when I buy twin swords at Comic Con inNew York City just because they look like Riven’s ninjata swords in The Almost Girl.

3. I can write better when I have my headphones in, listening to a rocking playlist.

4. Sleep is an excellent way to dream up more story ideas.

5. A room without a book is definitely not one in my house

Books

Title: The Almost Girl
Genre/s: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Released Date: January 4, 2014
Add to Goodreads TBR List
Pre-order Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.

Faced with hideous reanimated Vector soldiers from her own world with agendas of their own, as well as an unexpected reunion with a sister who despises her, it is a race against time to bring Caden back to Neospes. But things aren’t always as they seem, and Riven will have to search for truth. Family betrayals and royal coups are only the tip of the iceberg. Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was designed to be?

Giveaway !!!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends January 4, 2014 (Release Date)

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Winners of Author's Month Giveaways: Fourth Week

Before I announced the winners to this giveaway, I'm going to thank, first and foremost, our awesome authors for donating their books to this event. Thank you Erin Richards and Elizabeth May  for being so generous.

And lastly, I would like to thank everyone who participated in this giveaway. :)

Okay, let's get down to business. These are the winners in our giveaways.

Vigilante Nights Giveaway

Vanessa R. Silva-Netto

The Falconers Giveaway

Johnnie-Marie Howard

To all the winners, check your email or spam. You only have 48 hours to email me your mailing address. Or else I will have to pick a new winner.

If you didn't win today, don't worry, there's still plenty of open giveaways you can join. Try and try until you succeed. :)

@StrangeChem Author Slambook: Miche Sipes + Giveaway

Author Bio
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Miche Sipes wrote her first play at the age of six and has been writing creatively ever since. Well, if you don’t count the occasional decade-long lapse. Though she has worked as a technical writer and instructional designer, she always gravitates back to her first and true love—telling stories.

Miche has lived in Maryland and Florida, but now resides in Colorado. Whenever she’s not writing—or finding ingenious ways to procrastinate like flossing her cat’s teeth—she can be found hiking in the mountains with her husband.

Favorites

1. What is your favorite color? Violet

2. Favorite food? Chocolate

3. Favorite movie of all time? Toughie, but I love anything that makes me laugh out loud and one of my all-time favorite comedies is "Death At A Funeral" (the original version, of course)

4. Favorite song? At the moment, almost anything by Mumford & Sons

5. Favorite book of all time? Impossible to choose, but I can say that the book I've reread more than any other is Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"

All about Writing

1. How did your interest in writing originate?

I think I was born a writer. I've always written in one form or another. But only in the last few years did I decide to try writing novel-length fiction.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I tend to write in the late morning through early afternoon. I set a fairly easy word count and hope I exceed it.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?

I start with an idea for a novel and just write. I might have a couple of key plot points at the beginning, but that's all. As I write, more of the story comes into focus and I jot down scenes or bits of dialogue that reveal themselves. So at that point I guess I'm doing an informal outline as I go.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?

The hardest part is overcoming self-doubt and believing that writing is a worthwhile thing to do. The easiest part is trusting in the narrative and letting the story tell itself.

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Hike in the mountains. I recently moved to Colorado and am still in awe.

Finish the sentence

1. The difference between fiction and reality is --wait, there's a difference?

2. Research is what I'm doing when I'm surfing the web. I swear, I'm not just looking at cat videos.

3. I can write better when I pull the Internet cable from my computer.

4. Sleep is an excellent way to dream.

5. A room without a book is lonely.

Books

Title: An Angel Torched My Homework and Other Lies

Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: June 3, 2014 

Add to Goodreads TBR List

Synopsis:

Imagine if vampires, werewolves, angels and zombies were merely humans with a genetic mutation . . . could Norms and Differents ever get along?

Carrie Philips just wants her junior year at Clement Academy to go smoothly. Sure, it’s the first high school in the nation to integrate Norms like her with the Differents. But the Diffs are just typical teenagers with teeny-tiny genetic anomalies. They’re certainly not dangerous or anything. At least that’s what Carrie has always believed.

But when several of her fellow students are mysteriously assaulted, cracks form in Carrie’s worldview. Cracks she tries to ignore while defending her friends from anti-Diff backlash and solving the mystery of who’s really behind the attacks.

Then, Carrie stumbles on a bombshell that could forever change how Norms and Diffs see each other. So much for a quiet school year.

Giveaway !!!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends June 3, 2014 (Release Date)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

@StrangeChem Author Slambook: Lisa O'Kane + Giveaway

Author Bio
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Lisa Ann O’Kane is a young adult author and former vagabond who once camped out in Yosemite National Park for an entire summer, an experience that inspired her debut novel Essence (June 2014).

Her background is in zookeeping and environmental education, and she has been kicked, cornered, bitten and chased by nearly every animal she has ever loved. She currently resides in Florida, and she is now a huge fan of shooting stars, indoor plumbing and keeping both her feet planted firmly on the trail.

Favorites

1. What is your favorite color? Spring green

2. Favorite food? Macaroni & cheese. Obviously.

3. Favorite movie of all time? Up

4. Favorite song? "Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin

5. Favorite book of all time? The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein

All about Writing

1. How did your interest in writing originate?

On some level, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. My mother will tell you I was "writing" long before I could spell: scrawling complicated picture books and reciting them verbatim to anyone and everyone who would listen.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I am definitely the hare, not the tortoise, so I will often have a 2,000 to 4,000 word day followed by several weeks of silence. It's a pain, but I have gotten used to it.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?

I tend to give myself a very basic outline, and then I veer wildly from my plans.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?

I attempted to pigeonhole one particular character in ESSENCE, and the plot fought back until I finally gave up the reins and let the story do what it wanted to do. This was simultaneously the most terrifying and the most liberating thing I have ever done while writing.

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I take my stand-up paddleboard out several times a week, and I also spend quite a lot of time outdoors with my German Shepherd mix Lexi. I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by so many friends and family members in the Tampa Bay area, and we often enjoy live music, microbrews and adventures together.

Finish the sentence

1. The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction sees reality through a lens.

2. Research is what I'm doing when I'm up to no good.

3. I can write better when I stop worrying and just write.

4. Sleep is an excellent way to recharge and discover new ideas for the morning.

5. A room without a book is not my kind of room!

Books

Title: Essence (Essence #1)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Add to Goodreads TBR List
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
Synopsis:

Neutrality is the key to longevity.

This motto has governed 17-year-old Autumn’s life in the mid-21st-century Centrist cult, which believes that expressing emotions leads to Essence drain and premature death.

But Autumn’s younger brother’s death casts her faith into question. While sprinting through a park in violation of Centrist teachings, she encounters Ryder Stone, an Outsider who claims Essence drain is nothing more than a Centrist scare tactic. She agrees to join his Community, a utopia of adrenaline junkies living in the abandoned remains of Yosemite National Park.

Autumn learns about sex, drugs, and living life to the fullest. But as she discovers dark secrets beneath the Community’s perfect exterior, she realises that this illusion of paradise could be shattered…

Giveaway !!!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends June 3, 2014 (Release Date)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners of Author's Month Giveaways: Third Week

Before I announced the winners to this giveaway, I'm going to thank, first and foremost, our awesome authors for donating their books to this event. Thank you Em Garner, Dawn Metcalf, Carly Anne West, Jay Kristoff and Ms. Cassandra Gallante  for being so generous.

And lastly, I would like to thank everyone who participated in this giveaway. :)

Okay, let's get down to business. These are the winners in our giveaways.

Contaminated Giveaway

Rochelle Andasan

The Last Stormdancer Novella Giveaway

Christina T.

The Murmuring Giveaway

Tiffany Mahaffy

Indelible Giveaway

Meghan Stith

To all the winners, check your email or spam. You only have 48 hours to email me your mailing address. Or else I will have to pick a new winner.

If you didn't win today, don't worry, there's still plenty of open giveaways you can join. Try and try until you succeed. :)

Strange Chemistry: Bryony Pearce + Giveaway

Author Bio
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Bryony Pearce is a chocolate-loving vegetarian, who lives in a village on the edge of the Peak District with her husband, two small children and cat. She writes books which are much darker than she initially appears and since publication her friends have started looking at her as if she is going to start serial killing any minute. She is unlikely to do so. Her first book, Angel's Fury was published by Egmont in 2011 and won the Leeds Book Award and Cheshire Schools Book Award. Her second novel, The Weight of Souls was published in August 2013. She has a head full of stories and won't stop writing them down any time soon.

Favorites

1. What is your favorite color? Dark red

2. Favorite food? Thai red curry with Tofu. Anything chocolate.

3. Favorite movie of all time? The Princess Bride, The Matrix

4. Favorite song? Shake it Up, Florence and the Machine (at least today)

5. Favorite book of all time? Anything by Terry Pratchett, I love his work. Also Tom Pollock City's Son, Shakespeare's King Lear, Anne Macaffrey's Ship Who Sang . sorry I went on a bit far there.

All about Writing

1. How did your interest in writing originate?

In a love of books that has existed since I was old enough to listen to my mum reading them to me.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I fit it in whenever I can. With two small children my life is not very organised. Riley started school just a week ago, so I'm trying to be more organised now. I think it'll take me another week to get properly sorted out into set times though.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?

I work with an outline. I am a very serious pro-plotter!

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?

The hardest part is when you are between exciting scenes and you feel a bit like you are dragging the storyline forwards. Occasionally I've been stuck for a couple of months between 'good bits'. I also find the waiting for edits really hard. I'm a very impatient person. The easiest part is when it all flows well and you get a great day's worth of writing in. I love that feeling.

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I look after the children, I like to watch films, I read, I do karate. My current aim in life is to get a black belt (and another book deal of course!)

Finish the sentence

1. The difference between fiction and reality is words on a page

2. Research is what I'm doing when I really want my book to ring true

3. I can write better when I am not distracted

4. Sleep is an excellent way to organise my brain full of ideas

5. A room without a book is a pencil without a lead -pointless.

Book

Title: The Weight of Souls
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Released Date: August 6, 2013
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Synopsis:

Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…

She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.

But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.

Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him?

And what happens if she starts to fall for him?

Giveaway !!!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends November 21, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

@StrangeChem Author Slambook: Laura Lam + Giveaway

Author Bio
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Laura Lam was raised near San Francisco, California, by two former Haight-Ashbury hippies. Both of them encouraged her to finger-paint to her heart’s desire, colour outside of the lines, and consider the library a second home. This led to an overabundance of daydreams.

She relocated to Scotland to be with her husband, whom she met on the internet when he insulted her taste in books. She almost blocked him but is glad she didn’t. At times she misses the sunshine.

Favorites

1. What is your favorite color? Teal

2. Favorite food? Peanut butter

3. Favorite movie of all time? Before Sunrise

4. Favorite song? At the moment “Lose It” by Austra, but it changes. Also the whole new Goldfrapp album is lovely.

5. Favorite book of all time? Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

All about Writing

1. How did your interest in writing originated?

A love of reading.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Most often, I write at the café or at home after work.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?

I use fairly detailed outlines but let myself go in a different direction if it seems like a better idea.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?

Hardest part of Pantomime – the titular chapter with the pantomime, because it was difficult to balance both the events of the play and the thoughts and feelings of the actors playing them. The easiest scene was when Micah and Aenea go to the Museum of Mechanical Antiquities.

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Reading, exercising, watching TV, seeing friends, traveling. The usual stuff.

Finish the sentence

1. The difference between fiction and reality is less magic.

2. Research is what I'm doing when I should be writing.

3. I can write better when I turn off the internet.

4. Sleep is an excellent way to dream.

5. A room without a book is sad.

Books

Title: Pantomime (Pantomime #1)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Released Date: February 5, 2013
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Synopsis:

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

Title: Shadowplay (Pantomime #2)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Released Date: January 4, 2014
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Synopsis:

The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great

magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus--the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he's perfecting...

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.

Giveaway !!!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends November 18, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

@StrangeChem Author Slambook: Christian Schoon + Giveaway

Author Bio
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

After an initial stint as an in-house writer with the Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California, I freelanced as a scriptwriter and copywriter in LA for ten years. After my narrow escape to a farmstead near Iowa City, I now write speculative fiction and help re-hab wildlife and rescue abused/neglected horses from the area. Zenn Scarlett's story is strongly influenced by the amateur-vet knowledge I picked up working with a number of awesome local veterinarians, shelters and rescue groups, dealing with animals ranging from black bears, cougars, Burmese pythons and alligators to horses, burros and the occasional coyote.

Favorites

1. What is your favorite color? Cat. Close 2nd: Dog, then ferret, followed by horse. (What?)

2. Favorite food? Balinese Bunkus – street food at small roadside stands in Bali; filled w/ rice/noodle dishes and worth the 24-hour flight-with-Guam-layover to get there

3. Favorite movie of all time? Never Cry Wolf from director Carroll Ballard. It’s a masterpiece.

4. Favorite song? Changes depending on mood. Today: Jeff Beck’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition.

5. Favorite book of all time? Similar to the song thing: all the books I’ve ever read conduct an on-going death-cage-fight inside my head to determine who wears the crown; today: The Hobbit/LOTR trilogy

All about Writing

1. How did your interest in writing originate?

Mom & older sister both English teachers and they encouraged me to write even when my writing sucked and consisted primarily of deeply, embarrassingly cringe-worthy poetry (i.e., most of high school). Then there’s the whole “whoa! I can create entire worlds filled with unlikely creatures and kick-ass heroines/heroes with these word-things” aspect.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

All good thoughts must be out of my brain, into my fingers and out onto the hard drive by noon or else no bunkus for them.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?

I just dive in. Use up more time retracing my wandering (staggering?) footsteps because of that, but I generally find my way to much more interesting and unexpected scenic overlooks than if I’d been smart and drew myself a map.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book?

The writing parts, mostly. Those are hard. Seriously, I envy people monstrously who say “Oh, words just leak out of my fingertips like oozing plasma!”

The easiest? The writing parts when you’re in the zone and look up at the clock and you’ve missed lunch AND happy hour.

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

We’ve currently got 16 rescued horses in various stages of re-hab on our farm right now. Then there are the 25 or so barn cats, dogs, ferrets. Fortunately, I love critters with a love that will not perish even as the sun enters its Earth-gobbling red-giant phase, so I don’t mind spending lotsa time w/ them. Otherwise, I’m fond of good restaurants, movies, books, hanging out w/ my equally-animal-obsessed wife Kat and, of course, reading awesome-socks blogs like Books for YA! (not kidding. Book blogs like this one are the massively-muscled, constantly laboring hearts pumping the thick, delicious blood of bookery through the arteries of the interwebs and into the pointy-toothed never-satiated mouths of book-thirsty-like-a-vampire readers around the planet. What?)

Finish the sentence

1. The difference between fiction and reality is: fiction is generated by the skillful, occasionally even artful distillation of reality; reality comes from what your brain agrees to tell you about what’s going on outside of your brain. Really. We don’t actually KNOW what reality is beyond what filters into our neurons via our pokey old senses. Could be, and frankly has to be, totally, freakily other than the pic we paint for ourselves in the darkened breadbox of our skulls. Spooky, if ya ask me. And ya did.

2. Research is what I'm doing when I can’t make up a good enough lie from what’s already in the above-mentioned brain-box.

3. I can write better when my muse isn’t touring Irish pubs or snorkeling in the bath-water-warm ocean off of Key West.

4. Sleep is an excellent way to tell your pre-frontal cortex and hypothalamus you love them and want them to be happy.

5. A room without a book might as well be a padded cell (Or maybe not. Do they allow books in padded cells? Padded books? Paperbacks? Are padded cells even used any more? Can I change my answer?).

Books

Title: Zenn Scarlett (Zenn Scarlett #1)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Released Date: May 7, 2013
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Synopsis:

When you're studying to be exoveterinarian specializing in exotic, alien life forms, school... is a different kind of animal.

Best-selling author Mike Mullin (Ashfall) calls Zenn Scarlett "...delightful, bizarre, and occasionally terrifying." Melissa West (Gravity) says it’s “Utterly imaginative… sci-fi at its best... I couldn’t put it down!” And Temple Grandin (Animals in Translation) says "All future vets will want to read Zenn Scarlett and her adventures with veterinary medicine on alien animals."

The Story

Zenn Scarlett is a resourceful, determined 17-year-old girl working hard to make it through her novice year of exovet training. That means she's learning to care for alien creatures that are mostly large, generally dangerous and profoundly fascinating. Zenn’s all-important end-of-term tests at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars are coming up, and, she's feeling confident of acing the exams. But when a series of inexplicable animal escapes and other disturbing events hit the school, Zenn finds herself being blamed for the problems. As if this isn't enough to deal with, her absent father has abruptly stopped communicating with her; Liam Tucker, a local towner boy, is acting unusually, annoyingly friendly; and, strangest of all: Zenn is worried she's started sharing the thoughts of the creatures around her. Which is impossible, of course. Nonetheless, she can't deny what she's feeling.

Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what's happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she's actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients... or just losing her mind. All without failing her novice year....

Title: Under Nameless Sky (Zenn Scarlett #2)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Released Date: April 4, 2014
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Synopsis:

Zenn Scarlett’s novice year of exoveterinarian training on Mars isn’t quite going to plan…

After barely surviving a plot to destroy her school and its menagerie of alien patients, could things at the Ciscan cloister get any worse? Yes. Yes they could: Zenn’s absent father Warra Scarlett has suddenly ceased all communication with her. Desperate to learn what’s become of him, Zenn stows away aboard the Helen of Troy, a starliner powered by one of the immense, dimension-jumping beasts known as Indra.

With her is Liam Tucker, a towner boy who is either very fond of her, very dangerous to her, or both. On the verge of learning the truth about her dad, Zenn’s quest suddenly catapults her and Liam thousands of light years beyond known space, and into the dark heart of a monstrous conspiracy. Braving a gauntlet of lethal environments and unearthly life forms, her courage and exovet skills will now be tested as never before.

With the fate of entire worlds hanging in the balance, Zenn is racing headlong into trouble… again.

Giveaway !!!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
• Contest ends November 16, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway