Breaking Glass: Book Blast w/ Giveaway

BREAKING GLASS from Spencer Hill Press, July 2013 

by Lisa Amowitz

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he’s not sure whether they’re real or if he’s losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

ISBN: 978-1937053383

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Author bio:
Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.

When she hit her teens, she realized that Long Island was too small for her and she needed to escape. So she went to college in Pittsburgh. Go figure.

On leaving college, Lisa became a graphic designer living in New York City. She eventually married her husband of a zillion years, had two lovely children, and was swept away to a fairy tale life in the Bronx, where, unbelievably there are more trees and wilderness than her hometown. She can see the Hudson River from her kitchen window.

Lisa has been a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.

BREAKING GLASS which will be released in July, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first of the Finder series will be released in 2014, along with an unnamed sequel in the following year. LIFE AND BETH will also be released in the near future, along with graphic novel style art.

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Giveaway items:
(1) custom pendant like the one pictured on the book cover

(2) signed ARCS
(1) original work of Breaking Glass related art created and signed by the author.

One more thing...
Download SHARDS, which is an illustrated preview of BREAKING GLASS, for free! >>HERE<<

Cover Reveal: Face of Death

FACE OF DEATH
The third and final book in the TOUCH OF DEATH series.
By Kelly Hashway Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Having fallen at the hands of Hades, Jodi's enduring torture like she never imagined. Worse, she has to watch her Ophi friends suffer along with her--the punishment doled out by the very people she'd sentenced to life in Tartarus. Hell. This is one reunion Jodi hoped would never happen, but now she must find a way to free them all.

Except the underworld is nearly impossible to escape.

Jodi's one chance may rest in raising the human soul she killed when she drank Medusa's blood.

But splitting her human soul from her Ophi soul means living a double life: One as an Ophi experiencing unspeakable torture and the other as the human she could have been if she never came into her powers. With her two worlds colliding, Jodi will have to make the toughest decision she's faced yet.

Title: Face of Death (Touch of Death #3)

Author: Kelly Hashway
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
ISBN: 978-1-937053-92-5
Release Date: 1/7/2014
Formats: Paper, e-book

Cover Reveal: My Own Mr. Darcy (with Excerpt & Giveaway)

Cover Reveal & Summary:

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Goodreads

Publish Date: September 10, 2013

About the Author:

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Excerpt:

It was a busy Monday morning. I was looking out at the line of waiting customers when he walked in. I gasped, shut my thumb in my cash drawer, and then tried not to cry while Mr. Sandoval from a hearing aid store asked me if I was okay.

When I finished Mr. Sandoval’s transaction, I looked at him again. He was taller than anyone in the room. Of course. His hair was dark and a little disheveled. It was hard to see from where I was, but his eyes looked like they were blue. And best of all, he didn't smile. He looked gorgeously unpleasant and impatient. He looked around the room and his eyes met mine. Still he didn't smile. My heart was racing. He looked perfect.

I did my best to time it so I’d be his teller. I went a little too fast with one customer and accidentally shorted her a twenty dollar bill. I tried to concentrate as I corrected the transaction. I slowed way down on the next customer, but just when I thought I was finished and would be able to help him next, my customer asked me to break a ten into change. He walked up to Courtney’s window while I counted out nickels and dimes. Furious, I stomped my foot. Not too loudly but enough to release a little of my frustration.

I listened closely as Courtney helped him to see if I could learn anything, but he hardly spoke. He gave a terse nod when Courtney thanked him for coming in and turned on his heel and left. He had excellent posture and a nice, confident stride.

I finished with my customer, and then before anyone else could step forward, I picked up the phone and dialed Courtney’s extension. She glanced at her phone’s display and looked over at me curiously.
            “Who was that?” I whispered when she picked up the receiver.

“Elizabeth, look how many customers there are.”

“I know. Just tell me who that was.” I watched as Courtney picked up her last transaction slip.

“His name is Matt Dawson.”

“Is he married?”

“I have no idea,” Courtney said.

“Was he wearing a ring?”

“I didn’t look. What’s going on, Lizzie?”

“I just need to know about him.”

“Well, I don’t know anything about him and Delia’s watching us. I've gotta go.”

Matt Dawson. Matt. Matthew. Like Matthew Macfadyen. Dawson. It was pretty close to Darcy. The only way it could be better is if his name was Fitzwilliam but I’d never met a Fitzwilliam in my life.

Matt Dawson.

This had to be a sign.  

Giveaway:
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Thanks to Kathy from I Am a Reader, Not a Writer for this cover reveal opportunity!

Cover Reveal: Fire & Flood

Title: Fire & Flood

Author: Victoria Scott  Website / Twitter / Facebook

Publisher: Scholastic

Date: April 2014

Cover Reveal & Summary:

In a perilous race across the world, having the best Pandora can be the difference between life and death.

Sixteen-year-old Tella Holloway isn’t happy. Her mother rushed them out of Boston and into a craptastic house nestled in Middle of Nowhere, Montana. To make matters worse, Tella’s brother is sick, and though a dozen doctors can’t determine the cause, her mother is sure Montana’s “fresh air” will help. Now Tella spends her days being homeschooled, and uses her imagination as entertainment.

But when a small blue box appears on her bed, Tella’s world is rocked. Inside the strange package she finds a white ear bud—and after she fits it into place and touches its blinking button—an unknown voice fills her head. Tella is invited to join the Brimstone Bleed, a race across four ecosystems: desert, sea, mountains, jungle. The voice in Tella’s ear explains she has 48 hours to retrieve her Pandora, an animal genetically designed to help her win.

Tella has never been the sporty type; she’s more a cheerleader than an athlete. But despite her mother’s warnings, she’s determined to compete in the race. And she’ll do anything to win, because if Tella is the Brimstone Bleed victor, she'll be granted a specific gift—the cure to save her brother’s life.

FIRE & FLOOD is a teen thriller set in modern day.

So, who else is excited to read FIRE & FLOOD? It sounds different than all of the other books I've been reading. That's exciting! It has definitely been added to my TBR list! 

HEIST by Laura Pauling: Cover Reveal

BOOK INFO:

Heist by Laura Pauling

Genre: YA Psychological Thriller

No release date yet (will be in 2013)

Synopsis:

Can one decision change the past?

Jack Brodie has a sixth sense that someone has been watching him. Following him.

One night he travels back in time to one of the world’s largest art thefts, known as the Gardner Heist. Why that one moment in time? And what does it mean for Jack?

When he returns, his world is different. His best friend is rougher, meaner. His dad hasn’t been around in years. And then there’s Jetta. The girl who took over his heart the moment she stepped into his life. No one is safe.

Each time Jack goes back to the heist to fix his mistakes, he returns to face the fallout. Disaster strikes in the present until Jack must make a choice. His family and his own happiness. Or the girl he loves. Except, he learns that his sixth sense was right.

Someone has been watching him and wants him dead.

Goodreads

This book is totally on my TBR list! It sounds awesome and that cover is woowooo good!

AUTHOR BIO

Laura Pauling writes young adult fiction. She lives the cover of suburban mom/author perfectly, from the minivan to the home-baked snickerdoodles, while hiding her secret missions and covert operations. But shh. Don't tell anyone!

Her YA Circle of Spies Series includes A SPY LIKE ME and HEART OF AN ASSASSIN. Book three, TWIST OF FATE will be released in the fall of 2013.

HEIST, a young adult, psychological thriller, will be released the summer of 2013.

Author Links

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

DEVIANT Blog Tour (Author Guest Post & Giveaway)

Check back next week. I will be reviewing an ARC of DEVIANT from SOHO Teen!

Goodreads Summary & Cover:

When 16-year-old Abigail's mother dies in Scotland--leaving a faded photo, a weirdly cryptic letter, and a one-way ticket to America--she feels nothing. Why should she? Her mother gave her away when she was a baby, leaving her to grow up on an anti-nuclear commune and then in ugly foster homes. But the letter is a surprise in more ways than one: Her father is living in California. What's more, Abigail discovers she has an eighteen-year-old sister, Becky. And the two are expecting Abigail to move in with them. 

After struggling to overcome her natural suspicions of a note from beyond the grave (not to mention anything positive) Abigail grows close to her newfound sister. But then Becky is found dead, the accidental victim of an apparent drug overdose. As Abigail wrestles with her feelings and compiles a "Book of Remembrance" of her sister's short life, she uncovers a horrifying global plot aimed at controlling teen behavior: one that took her sister's and mother's lives, with vast implications.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Indiebound

Author Bio
Helen FitzGerald is the second youngest of thirteen children. She grew up in the small town of Kilmore, Victoria, Australia, and studied English and History at the University of Melbourne. Via India and London, Helen came to Glasgow University where she completed a Diploma and Masters in Social Work. She worked as a probation and parole officer for ten years. She’s married to screenwriter Sergio Casci, and they have two children.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Author Guest Post

Before qualifying as a social worker, I worked part time in a hostel for homeless care-leavers. Many had been neglected, or emotionally, physically or sexually abused by their parents. Many had been shunted from foster carer to children’s home to foster carer. At sixteen, they were let loose. No longer children, they were no longer the responsibility of the social work department. Unfortunately, no-one in their families had bothered to take responsibility for them either. So a bunch of sixteen year old girls ended up in a large Victorian house in the leafy west end of Glasgow, where they were supposed to prepare themselves for independent living. And I was supposed to help them.

I chose this background and setting for my main character in Deviant for many reasons. First, the girls I met at this hostel were isolated. They had little or no family, and had learned to distance themselves from carers whose commitment to them only lasted as long as the job description and pay check. They were also confused: by their difficult histories, and by the lack of loving direction about what would happen next.

But the girls also had strength and determination that children from luckier, more sheltered, backgrounds did not have. They’d experienced crises I couldn’t imagine dealing with. They’d been used and groomed and disappointed by almost all the adults they ever knew. As a result, they’d learned to get by on their own, to adapt quickly to different settings and circumstances. They’d learned to survive.

What better protagonist for a thriller – a young woman who is confused and isolated, yet determined and tough. An outsider, a fish out of water, a young woman who can finally take control of her own life, using all the skills she’s gathered in order to survive an unhappy, tumultuous childhood.

Giveaway
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The Trouble with Toads: Review & Giveaway!

Title: The Trouble with Toads (Book 1)

Author: Danyelle Leafty

Source: Review Copy from Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not a Writer

*My review is based on my thoughts and opinions. I have not been persuaded in any way.*

Tour Schedule

Summary & Cover

Once upon a time a young girl wanted revenge. But first, she wanted to be beautiful. Twelve-year-old Bettony has read enough stories that begin with ‘Once upon a time’ to know what happens to the ugly stepsisters at the end, and she’s determined to escape that fate by any means necessary—even by magic.

Unfortunately, when it comes to magic, there is no place for regret, refunds, or exchanges. Even if you accidentally turn your older sister into a toad.

If Bettony wants her Happily Ever After to end well, she’s going to have to find a way to turn her sister back into a person before their mother finds out she’s been dabbling with magic and grounds her for life.

Tracking down the family magic turns out to be surprisingly easy. Now, if only it came with directions . . .

THE TROUBLE WITH TOADS (45,000 words) is the first book in a new upper MG series The Secret Stepsister Society. The second book will be released Summer 2013.

Amazon

Thoughts

I solely signed up to read this book and review it for the tour because of that cute cover! Love, love, love it! It is perfect for the story and it is appealing to middle grade readers.

Now, the story...

I thought some of the explanations and descriptions were a bit higher than middle school thinking. Maybe it was just me and my end of school year squishy brain. I don't know for sure!

I did enjoy the important themes this book covered: loving yourself, it's inside what counts, etc... These are definite themes that apply to all girls, any age. We all want to be that beautiful girl that everyone fawns over and can do no wrong for anyone. This book and its character, Bettony, are teaching the reader and showing a clear example of things that can go wrong if you're not happy with yourself. Granted, it's using magic as means of making things go terribly awry, but in our world, we don't have magic to do that. We just have ourselves to mess things up.

I thought the book was a fun little read and I will definitely pick up the next installment on the series. I have to know what happens! Will Bettony learn how to control the magic? Will Cadmilla remain a toad forever? How soon before the three girls are friends? Will they become friends? Will Bettony get her song back? 

Rating

Author Danyelle Leafty

Danyelle Leafty writes upper MG and YA fantasy, and is the author of THE FAIRY GODMOTHER DILEMMA series. Danyelle has always loved fairy tales, and prefers stories where someone gets eaten, or at the very least, transmogrified. Much of her inspiration has come from fairy tales, because as G.K. Chesterton so aptly states, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

In her spare time, she collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers. She also collects books, and one day hopes to make a house out of them. She enjoys learning languages, fiddling with her harp, and perfecting the fine art of mothering. (It's a lot like trying to herd chickens during a lightning storm while a goat stampede is going on.)

One of her heroes is Albert Einstein, particularly for the following quote: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The most important thing is not to stop questioning."

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Blog

Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/28/13
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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $25 US.

RESILIENT Cover Reveal, Excerpt, & Giveaway!

Resilient by Patricia Vanasse is garnering some great attention, even long before the release date of September 3rd, 2013. Published by Pants on Fire Press this is the story of Livia and Adam, two teens who are far from normal and have more in common than they could ever imagine.

According to the press release, Resilient has already got attention from A-list movie studios and production companies that are interested in the movie and screen rights.  Resilient was also the 4th place winner of the 2012 Golden Acorn Excellence in Writing Award.

Livia has never felt like she fits in. As normal as it sounds, Livia is anything but ordinary. She can feel every emotion of every single person around her, and it’s maddening. In pursuit of some psychic quiet, she moves with her family from New York City to Whidbey Island in the lush and sleepy Pacific Northwest. But when a horseback riding accident in her new home gives her a broken leg that heals in a day, she finds that another unexplainable ability has manifested, and her life isn't about to get any easier.

Adam has no problem fitting in and making friends. In fact, he’s the top of the school, the boy everyone knows and loves. However, people only see what he allows them to. No one knows what Adam is truly capable of. After witnessing Livia’s accident, Adam sees something intriguing in her quick recovery, something that gives him hope that he’s not alone.

Adam is the only one whose emotions Livia can't read. Afraid of not knowing what goes on behind his dark eyes, Livia decides to keep him at a distance. Yet the more she tries to ignore him, the more alluring he becomes, and while their personal quests for identity will inevitably bring them closer together, it is the confirmation of what they really are that threatens to tear them apart.

Resilient, told in alternating point of views, is a gripping story of survival and romance, in which two teenagers face the consequences of being anything but normal.

Resilient is a YA book recommended for ages 13 and older.  It has 318 pages and will be available in ebook and paperback.

Excerpt:
He opens his eyes and sees me ogling. Embarrassed, I turn my attention back to the sky. 
“I thought you had fallen asleep.” 
“And then you'd take advantage of me.”
“No! I was just…” I trail off, not knowing what to say. “Can we go? It’s getting late.”
“We just got here!” He smiles in amusement. “How about we play a game?”
“What game?”

“I ask you a question, you answer, and then you ask me one. It’s a good way to get to know each other.” He turns his body to the right so he’s facing me. “Before you decide I'm the worse person ever, you should know the facts.”
“As long as you tell the truth.”
“You have my word.” I laugh despite myself as he asks, “If you had to choose between day and night, which would you pick?”
I frown for a second, thinking. “Day,”
I say “Wrestling or football?”
“Wrestling for sure,” he answers.
“Favorite cartoon character?”
“Ha! Definitely Daria; I feel like we have something in common.” I chuckle while Adam’s eyebrows scrunch together. I guess he’s having a hard time finding the similarities. “Yours?”
“I've got to say SpongeBob. No similarities there, though.” He smiles and lies back down, inspecting the stars. “Do you believe there’s life out there besides us?”
That question has been on my mind for years, but I never had to answer it until now. “I don't know. I hope so.”
“You hope so?” His brows shoots up, “Wouldn't you be afraid if aliens really existed?” He sounds sincerely curious.
“No, I don't think they would be the monsters Hollywood makes us believe. I think they would be just like...”
“Us?”
“Yeah, like us. How about you?”
He nods, “I agree with you.”
We fall into silence for a little while before his next question. It would be too pretentious of me to believe humans are the only ones to live in a universe so much bigger than we know. There are so many places we haven't even begun to discover yet. In any case, other life forms could be the explanation to all of my inhuman abilities.
“What do you like most about yourself?” he asks.
My mind wanders; I’m not sure what my qualities are, really, but I think of something to say. “I'm stubborn.”
“And that’s a quality?”
“Yes. I mean, it keeps me from giving up when things gets rough.”
He turns to look at me, probably wondering what could be so rough in my life. He doesn't know that I don’t have everything, I don't have what I want the most: answers to what I am.

Patricia Vanasse was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Now she lives on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two adorable children, and two crazy dogs. She has been through Culinary Arts, Psychology, Law School, and now has finally found her passion in creative writing. She also loves traveling, cooking, and is an avid reader. Her strength- believes that everything is possible. Her weakness- an obsessive relationship with caffeine.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Giveaway:

Paperback ARC (early copy) of Resilient.

Open worldwide.

Ends 6/11/13

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