For the Love of Books Giveaway Hop!

I really want to thank Jessica from Thoughts at One in the Morning for asking me to be a part of this fun giveaway hop!  I'll be picking three winners to win TWO of the following books listed. The giveaway is international and you can enter via the Rafflecopter below!

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Two reviews, an interview & a giveaway!

I'm kinda glad you guys can't hear what I sound like right now because I totally sound like a hot mess...except not the "hot" part. So, basically, I sound like a mess. Yeah, I have the immune system of a packet of toilet paper; basically, it's non-existent. There is a point to this status, I swear. 

Jodie and Bree from Fab Fun & Tantalizing Reads are awesome. They know this because I've told them many times. Also, they spotlighted me and my books today. They have reviews of both Hadie and Impossible, an interview with me, plus an awesome giveaway where you can win a paperback of Hadie and many e-copies.

I'm going to pass out on my sofa from taking too many cold & flu tablets. I suggest you guys don't do that. Maybe go and check out that awesome spotlight thingy. Yeah, that sounds like a better idea.

Check it out here!

Cover Reveal: SHUDDER by Samantha Durante

I'm so excited that Samantha Durante has been kind enough to give me the opportunity to share the cover of her next release along with the blurb with you guys. There is also a fun giveaway for all of you where you have a chance to win a paperback copy of Shudder!

Shudder is the second book in the Stitch trilogy and I am really excited for its release because I enjoyed the first book, Stitch, so much! Here is my review of Stitch so you can see what I thought of it.

It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

It sounds great, doesn't it? Why don't you guys go ahead and add it on Goodreads? And for those of you who haven't read Stitch, you can purchase it on Amazon and add it on Goodreads. I recommend reading Stitch before reading Shudder, but there's still two months to go so you still have plenty of time to read the first book!

Samantha is lovely, so she has an awesome international giveaway for you guys where you can win a paperback of Shudder! Sounds great!

Enter the Giveaway HERE!!!

Guest Post: Erica Cope & Giveaway of LARK!

Erica Cope, author of Lark, is taking over my blog today and talking about critique partners. I love her and her debut novel so much that I'm also giving away 3 Kindle copies of Lark, so don't forget to enter the giveaway for your chance to read this amazing book!

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When Komal asked me to do a guest post for her, my mind sorta just went BLANK.

Nothing.

Nada.

Nothing but air up there.

I couldn’t come up with anything for the life of me that I thought would be of some interest to ya’ll.

I thought about writing about the inspiration behind my story. But I already posted about it over on my blog so I figured that would be cheating.

Then I thought maybe I’d write about how I handle bad reviews (because you know, everyone gets them sometimes) but that’s been done too.

 (P.S Even though they say NOT to read them, I read them anyway. But I do make sure I always read the positive reviews afterwards to remind myself that there are people out there who DO like my story.)

So then it came to me! I’d do a post about the importance of Critique Partners because this is a topic I have a lot of thoughts on.

Ding ding ding! My brain is working again!

First, I just want to say that I think that Crit Partners are very important, special people. You are trusting them with your book baby so they have to be!

Sometimes as a writer you may think you are conveying what’s in your head on to paper but that doesn’t mean that the reader is “getting” it. I saw the entire kingdom of Álfheimr in my head, but I did not describe it very well in my first draft.

Maybe it was just an amateur move, but surely I’m not the only one who has made that mistake. (Right?) I just assumed the reader could see what I saw (as if they magically had access to my brain or something) and focused more on the flow of the story at first.

Thank goodness for Crit Partners!

One of my Crit Partners was especially good at pointing out when I left out important details. She asked me questions about what things looked like, what they sounded like and what they smelled like. Everything. So I would sit back and picture it all in my head again and then instead of focusing on the “what’s happening” part, I’d focus more on the sensory aspect. Another one helped make my dialogue more realistic (contractions!). The others helped me with the consistency of the story. Everyone who read my story helped me make it better in one way or another.

That is one of the best things about Crit Partners. Not only can they help you develop your story into what you want it to be, but they’re also good for bouncing some ideas off of. Good ones can keep you on track which is especially valuable for Indie Authors.

But on the other hand, when having people read your story before you publish, I think it’s important to remember that just because they suggest something, doesn’t mean you have to change it.

I think it’s important to make sure that you stay true to YOUR characters and YOUR story.

Sometimes people forget that everyone responds differently to different situations. Someone reading your story might offer suggestions on how THEY think your characters would respond to certain situations and while sometimes you may agree, don’t be afraid to say “no”. Because at the end of the day, you know your characters (you invented them!) and you know best.

So moral of the story?

Critique Partners are great, but don’t forget to TRUST YOURSELF too.

Thank you Komal for having me as a guest on your blog!

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Erica Cope lives in Missouri with her husband, three kids, two dogs and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, so maybe not the last part.

You can find more about Erica in the following places:

Facebook
Twitter - @EricaCope3
Blog
Goodreads

For the chance to win one of three Kindle copies of LARK, please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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Falling for Hadie giveaway!!

I just realised I haven't had a giveaway for my own book! How embarrassing is that? Anyway, Falling for Hadie is my second novel and I'm so excited to give three of you the chance to read it in Kindle version. I promise I will have a giveaway of paperbacks once they become available. =)

There are a couple of small things you can do to gain entries into the draw to win, so check out the Rafflecopter for more details. Good luck, everyone!



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Giveaway for a Great Cause!

It's been a long time since I've had a giveaway so I thought I would make my giveaway comeback by taking part in a great cause. Until the end of October, 100% of Kindle edition sales made from Tammy Blackwell's novel, Destiny Binds, will go towards the Ronald McDonald House. Tammy puts it much better in her post, so I ask you to go and check it out here.

Now, this is where I come in. I really want to support this wonderful cause as I have lost a family member to cancer. What I will be doing is giving away FIVE Kindle editions of Destiny Binds to five lucky winners. Please support this great cause with us!

I also reviewed Destiny Binds earlier this year. Check out the review to see my thoughts on it.

Now, all you have to do is enter in the Rafflecopter below and spread the word about the giveaway. The giveaway is open internationally and will close October 28.

Good luck everyone!

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Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my leg of the hop everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your Easter break! The Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Yara @ Once Upon a Twilight. There are over 200 blogs participating so you have plenty of chances to win something!

I am offering a $20 e-gift card for either Amazon OR Barnes and Noble. The requirements of this giveaway are simple. The giveaway is open internationally, so become a follower of my blog and leave a comment at the end of this post with your name and email address.

The giveaway runs from April 6th to 12th. Any entries received after that date will be discarded.

Happy Easter!

100 Followers Giveaway!

So, I just reached over a hundred followers and to celebrate I wanted to hold a fun giveaway! I'm really excited to get to know everyone and I try to comment on as many of your blogs as I can.

I also did a guest post over at Mia Hayson's blog about Online Distractions for a Writer so go and check it out! There are also some other great guest posts on Mia's blog from bloggers all through February.

Here is what's up for grabs:

First place: $30 e-gift card for Barnes & Noble OR Amazon
Second place: $20 e-gift card for Barnes & Noble OR Amazon
Third place: $15 e-gift card for Barnes & Noble OR Amazon
Fourth & Fifth place winners: Will receive a copy of Crossroads by J.J. Bonds for their Kindle.

All you have to do is be follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post with your name and email address. The giveaway is open internationally and closes on March 1st. I will randomly draw the winners after then and announce it on my blog.

Good luck!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Winners of Half-Blood Giveaway!

The giveaway has officially closed and I'm pleased to announce the winners. Yes, I said winners.

You have all won an e-copy of Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout!

I'll send you each an email to confirm your details and you'll be reading your very own copy of Half-Blood on your Kindle shortly!

Congratulations and thanks for entering!

Review: Half-Blood & My First Giveaway for 2012!

Half-Blood - Jennifer Armentrout

Genre - Young Adult

Released - October 18, 2011

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi--pure bloods--have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much.

Half-bloods only have two options: become trained sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:

Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden.

And that would kind of suck.

Let’s address the elephant in the room and get it out of the way. Yes, Half-Blood bears a striking resemblance to Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. Did I love the book regardless of the similarities? Absolutely!

Alex is a character very much like Rose Hathaway from VA. She runs away from school due to an unexplained threat. She is a Half-Blood and is looked down in a society run by Pure Bloods. There are dark beings called daimons that are similar to Strigoi. She has a forbidden romance with her older mentor, Aiden. There is a potential love triangle with the introduction of Seth.

Now, let me tell you what I loved about this book. About mid-way the resemblance to Vampire Academy disappears. We are dealing with a completely different world and a different mythology. I loved the introduction of the Apollyon and Solaris story. After that, I kind of guessed what Alex’s secret was so I wasn’t too surprised by it. However, I am eager to know what is going to happen to Alex on her eighteenth birthday and what this all means for her.

The twist about Alex’s mother was brilliant! I did not see that coming and I loved the end scene. I liked the back story about Aiden and the chemistry between Alex and Aiden was amazing! Seth was such an interesting character and I can't wait to learn more about him as well as find out what Lucian has in store for Seth and Alex.

All in all, this was a great book and I flew right through it and wanted to read more. Jennifer Armentrout’s writing style was easy to read and flowed well. The action scenes were done nicely and the emotional scenes were touching. I am curious to know what comes next and will definitely be picking up the sequel!

Recommended: If you enjoyed the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and love Greek mythology.

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I had the opportunity to interview the lovely Jennifer Armentrout last May and I was so excited for the release of her books. You can check out the interview here. 

So, I want to give one lucky person the chance to read Half-Blood! I will be sending it through Amazon so you need to have a a Kindle or something that allows you to read Kindle books on.

To enter you must:

- Be a follower of this blog

- Leave a comment with your name and email

The giveaway is open internationally and closes on January 18. I will randomly select a winner out of my ice cream bucket.

Good luck everyone!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Winner of the New Author Blog Hop Giveaway!!

Wow, that's a mouthful!

Moving on, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for stopping by on the hop! It means a lot to me that you stopped by and commented.

I'm also very grateful to Kendare Blake for taking time out of her busy schedule to do the interview with me. She's such an exciting new author and I am in love with her latest release, Anna Dressed in Blood.

So, I have picked a winner at random from my infamous ice cream bucket (Okay, I don't know why my ice cream bucket is infamous...).

Congratulations, K.M. Walton! 

You have won a $25 e-gift card to spend at the Barnes & Nobles website!

I will email you shortly to confirm your prize. If I don't hear from K.M. Walton in 48 hours then I will randomly draw another winner.

To those who missed out this time, don't worry! I will be having another giveaway shortly, so stay tuned!

New Author Blog Hop: Interview with Kendare Blake

I'm so excited to participate in the New Author Blog Hop co-hosted by Michelle and Saba. Go and check out their blogs to find links to other amazing giveaways!

As for me, I'll be hosting a giveaway where you can win a $25 e-gift card for Barnes & Nobles. You might even want to use it to purchase Kendare Blake's debut novel, Sleepwalk Society.You can find my review of Kendare's new release, Anna Dressed in Blood tomorrow.

Requirements for the giveaway are at the bottom of this post. Check out the interview, check out the review tomorrow, and leave a comment for Kendare!

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Please give a warm welcome to Kendare Blake!

Could you briefly tell us what ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is about?

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is about a ghost-killing guy and a dead murderous girl. They meet. Blood flies. And in the midst of all the flying, dismembered limbs, the guy manages to make some real friends, and the girl manages to not tear his head off. Right away.

What inspired you to write ANNA?

I wanted to do something gory. Something ripping and gritty. I wanted to play SILENT HILL but I was too scared. It wasn't until after the book was written that I started to think of it as 'horror'.

What made you want to write a novel with a male POV, and how did you get into a teenage boy’s head so well?

The fact that people seem to think it was done well, is such a relief! I've written in men's heads before. I've got a pretty butch brain, myself. And I'd double check a lot, with dudes. As for why I wanted to write a male POV, I didn't. It's just a matter of who should tell the story. And Cas was the one to tell the story. If Anna had told it, we wouldn't have seen half as much. She's trapped in her house, after all.

In your book, Anna is something of an urban legend. Is there an urban legend you’ve heard that makes you shake in your boots (or preferred footwear)?

Always the one about the corpse stuffed into the box spring of a hotel mattress. Every time I stay in a hotel, I wonder what's dead inside the bed. And then I figure, "well, it's dead, and I'm tired. It won't care if I sleep on it."

ANNA is definitely in my Top 5 best book covers of the year. What was your first thought when you saw it?

Mmm....I can't exactly remember, but it was probably something like, "Oh, holy crap. Holy crap crap. Holy, holy crap." The art department, the artist, and my editor did a great job coming up with that. I'm glad you like it! I think it's pretty darned pretty. (And if I'm honest, the real words out of my mouth when I first saw it were probably lots and lots of swear words. Happy, happy swear words.)

What was your publishing journey like?

Long. I've been writing now for over a decade, studying in a master's program, churning out short stories. My first novel, SLEEPWALK SOCIETY was a small, indie press book. I sold it right before I started writing ANNA. But since then, everything's been fantastic. I lucked out with a great bunch of people, from my small press publisher to my editor, Mel Frain, at Tor, and my agent, Adriann Ranta at Wolf Literary. Of course, the publishing journey can never really be talked about in the past tense. Unless you just give up and quit. So who knows what lies ahead?

Personally, I am a huge fan of horror movies. Do you enjoy them too, and what are your favourites?

I do enjoy them! But I enjoy them best when I'm watching them with someone who is a huge chicken. I really liked INSIDIOUS this past year. I love the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, even though they're not scary. Hopefully they come out with something else soon that's wicked creepy. I still haven't seen the Paranormal Activity movies. I don't know. They don't seem like my cup of tea.

I procrastinate a lot during the writing process. Do you also procrastinate or are you very motivated when you write?

I procrastinate right at the start. Before I start a book, I'll do just about anything else that could possibly need doing. But once I start, it's on. I'll write straight through (with only minimal procrastinating) until the end.

What are your three favourite books of all time?

Oh, that's a hard question. I mean, there are books that are my favorite to read over and over, and then there are books I've read once that still resonate. There are guilty pleasures, and books I admire. And you want me to name the three favorites of ALL TIME? Impossible. So I'll just name a bunch.

HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy by Philip Pullman. THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley. THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES by Anne Rice. STEPHEN KING stuff, by Stephen King. 20th CENTURY GHOSTS by Joe Hill. JANE EYRE, by you know who. AMERICAN PSYCHO by Bret Easton Ellis. THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING by Milan Kundera. Holly Black.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Read! Read the writers that you love and find new ones. Think about the stories you enjoy and why you enjoy them. Notice how writers you love handle certain things, like the passage of time, or revealing back story. Read, read, read. And then, write, write, write.

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Thanks so much for having me on the blog! Cheers, Kendare.

To find out more about Kendare, visit her on the links below:

http://kendareblake.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4086715.Kendare_Blake

http://twitter.com/#!/KendareBlake

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000419817410

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Requirements for the giveaway:

- This is an international giveaway

- You must be over 13 to participate

- You must be a follower of this blog

- You need to leave a comment and your email address so I can get in touch with you.

The winner will be picked at random and will be announced on December 1. Don't forget to check out all the other blogs in the hop!

Falling Into Books Giveaway Winners!

I have some exciting news for everyone that entered my giveaway - I have the names of the winners! I liked everyone's answers so much that I put everyone's names into a hat - actually, it was an ice cream container because we have a lack of hats in our house - and came up with three winners.

So, congratulations to:

Sablelexi

Maria

Lady Vampire

You each have one choice from the following: Passion by Lauren Kate, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, Supernaturally by Kiersten White or City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.

I will be emailing winners and if I don't hear from them in 48 hours then I will draw new names.

I will be having a huge giveaway at 75 followers so spread the word and stay tuned!

Entries Closed for Giveaway and an Update

Hey guys, I would officially like to close entries for the Falling Into Books Giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to awesome Michelle at OH! For the LOVE of BOOKS! for hosting the giveaway.

I also have an exciting change to my giveaway. Instead of one winner I will be choosing THREE winners who will now be able to pick a book of their choice from Passion by Lauren Kate, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, Supernaturally by Kiersten White AND City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.

I will post the winners shortly so stay tuned!

Falling Into Books Giveaway!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Falling Into Books Giveaway Hop, the brain child of Michelle over at OH! For the LOVE of BOOKS! The Giveaway is from September 26 - 30 and there are some awesome prizes up for grabs so visit Michelle's blog to find a link to the other giveaways.

As for my giveaway, you have the chance to win either: PASSION by Lauren Kate or BLOODLINES by Richelle Mead. The winner gets to decide which book they would like.

Requirements for my giveaway:
- You must be over 13
- It is international
- You must be a follower of my blog
- You must leave your email address
- Answer this question: WHAT is your favourite Young Adult book and WHY is it your favourite?

I will pick the answer I like best from there. The giveaway closes on September 30 and I will announce the winner after that. Don't forget to visit OH! For the LOVE of BOOKS! to enter the other giveaways!