Dizneeee's World of Books: Giveaway

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Blog Tour: Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper Review w/ Giveaway

Book Title: Sticks & Stones
Author: Abby Cooper
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Release Date: July 12th 2016

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, School

Synopsis

Ever since she was a baby, the words people use to describe Elyse have instantly appeared on her arms and legs. At first it was just "cute" and "adorable," but as she's gotten older and kids have gotten meaner, words like "loser" and "pathetic" appear, and those words bubble up and itch. And then there are words like "interesting," which she's not really sure how to feel about. Now, at age twelve, she's starting middle school, and just when her friends who used to accept and protect her are drifting away, she receives an anonymous note saying "I know who you are, and I know what you're dealing with. I want to help." As Elyse works to solve the mystery of who is sending her these notes, she also finds new ways to accept who she is and to become her best self.

Follow the Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Abby Cooper lives in Minnesota with her miniature poodle, Louis, and a whole bunch of books. A former teacher and school librarian, her favorite things in the world (besides writing) are getting and giving book recommendations and sharing her love of reading with others. In her spare time, she likes eating cupcakes, running along the Mississippi River, and watching a lot of bad reality TV.

US Only Giveaway | Rules & Conditions on the rafflecopter

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Excerpt & Giveaway: The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy:

I'm happy to share a part of THE TELLING by Alexandra Sirowy with you today!

Make sure to check each blog part of the tour (listed below) to find different chapter excerpts!

Book Title: The Telling

Author: Alexandra Sirowy

Release Date: August 2, 2016

Summary

A chilling new novel about a girl who must delve into her past if she wants to live long enough to have a future when a series of murders that are eerily similar to the dark stories her brother used to tell start happening in her hometown.

Lana used to know what was real. That was before, when her life was small and quiet. Her golden stepbrother, Ben was alive. She could only dream about bonfiring with the populars. Their wooded island home was idyllic, she could tell truth from lies, and Ben’s childhood stories were firmly in her imagination.

Then came after.

After has Lana boldly kissing her crush, jumping into the water from too high up, living with nerve and mischief. But after also has horrors, deaths that only make sense in fairy tales, and terrors from a past Lana thought long forgotten. Love, blood, and murder.

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Excerpt
Chapter 2 part 1

What comes next happens fast. It’s getting dark and everyone is out of breath, their panting magnified in my ears. Becca’s whimpers are desperate and grinding, bouncing off the trees. I want to tell her to shut up already, I need to concentrate. Josh leaves the surface, and there’s only black lapping water where he was.

Duncan makes it to the shore and his voice booms, “Carolynn, call 9-1-1.”

And she says, “My effing cell is in the car.”

Willa shouts, “Run for it.”

And then they stop making noise—except for Becca, who’s still wailing—so I assume Carolynn runs for her phone. I get caught up in the enormous unlikelihood of seven of us and not one cell, and then I want to smack my forehead because there’s no service at the spring.

Rusty vanishes too. He and Josh are diving for the girl. And I think, What is she doing down there? A split second later, I dive also.

I swim blind, the surface gone too dim to illuminate below. I wriggle through the black, my chest squeezing with the increased pressure. My hands jab the bottom. It’s soundless as death, and I wonder if Ben can hear anything where he is. Stupid to believe he could be anywhere, dead is dead. And I’m not dead, even if sometimes I wonder if we’d be together if I were. That’s a nightmare thought, the kind that filled the first month after we buried Ben’s empty coffin.

There’s a ripple in the water to my right—Josh or Rusty scouring the spring for the girl. The girl. I was below a minute ago and there was no one except loneliness and memories of Ben—but aren’t those two actually the same? My arms sweep back and forth, legs propelling me forward. Pressure behind my eyeballs. Too long since the surface. And that must be the case, because I have the inkling that I’m an astronaut in space and I’m only dreaming that I’m in water.

My arms close around something—no, someone—waxy and firm. I take hold and yank and yank, ripping the form free from an invisible grip. She’s slender in my arms, all sharp angles and poking bones. I wonder if she’s a kid as we surface, and I gasp so hard it’s a punch in the lungs.

“Help,” I sputter. Everything is silver edged. Rusty’s arms windmill toward me. His hands skate over mine to get a grip on the girl, which is good because she’s slipping, her breasts smushed against my arms as I try to keep hold. Breasts, so she’s not a kid. Rusty floats her on her back, and with an arm hooked under hers, he cuts through the water.

“Over here, man,” Duncan calls, crouched on the shore, blood smeared across his face. Josh jerks his head to the ladder, and we swim for it. Rusty must have reached the shore, because Duncan adds, “Lift her. Yeah, yeah, yeah, a bit higher.”

My arms go shaky and dumb as I climb from one rung to the next. I’m at the top, swinging a leg over a boulder, when Duncan shouts, “Holy shit, I know her.” Becca cries out from where she’s curled on her towel, the skipper hat and her face ducking intermittently behind her knees. “It’s Maggie Lewis,” Duncan says.

About the Author

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of The Creeping and The Telling. She was born and raised in Northern California, where she attended a women’s college as an undergraduate and received her MA at the University of San Francisco. She is a voracious reader, the oldest of three children, an avid traveler, a record-holding high school long jumper, a gourmet cook, a feminist, and forever grateful to her parents for reading to her as a child. Alexandra lives in Northern California with her husband.

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Photo by Vivian Sachs

Giveaway

The publisher is giving away a copy to one of my blog readers!
This is for US entrants, 13+ only.
Good luck!

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Tour Schedule:
7/11: The Book Cellar
7/12: Dizneeee's World of Books
7/13: I Turn the Pages
7/14: Actin' Up With Books
7/15: Such A Novel Idea

100 Hours - Cover Reveal & Giveaway

I am so excited to share the awesome cover for 100 HOURS, the first book in a new trilogy by New York Times best-selling author Rachel Vincent, which releases on March 28, 2017 from Katherine Tegen Books, along with a note from the author about her upcoming novel and an amazing giveaway.

Scroll down to take check out the gorgeous cover, read what Rachel Vincent has to say about 100 HOURS, and enter for a chance to win. And be sure to share your thoughts about the cover in the comments!

The Cover Reveal

Title: 100 HOURS

Author: Rachel Vincent

Release date: March 28, 2017

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 368

Formats available to pre-order: Hardcover

Find it: AMAZON | GOODREADS

Summary

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.

While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.

But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.

Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t set aside their personal problems, no one will make it out alive.

A Note from Rachel Vincent

In my upcoming YA suspense 100 HOURS, Genesis and her cousin Maddie come from opposite ends of the privilege spectrum, but when they wind up kidnapped for ransom during spring break in Colombia and have no one else to count on, they discover they have more in common than either of them thought.

If you’ve read any of my previous releases, 100 HOURS probably seems like a departure for a Rachel Vincent book. And that’s what I thought, back when it was just me and an idea. But as I wrote the story and got to know the characters, I realized that even though this book is set in the Colombian jungle and these characters have no supernatural abilities, 100 HOURS is very much a book about the themes that draw me in over and over. Survival. Family friction and loyalty. High-stakes pulse-racing action. Twists, turns, secrets, and revelations. Girls who can fend for themselves—and for anyone else who needs help.

About Rachel Vincent

Photo credit: Kim Haynes Photography

Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.

The Giveaway

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for…

ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED SET of a paperback copy of THE STARS NEVER RISE + an ARC of THE FLAME NEVER DIES

Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on July 11th at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below...

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Cover Reveal (w/ Giveaway): Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

A story of a girl who's in a family of con artists? Sign me up!

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

presented by Entanged Teen!

Read on for a special message from Julie!!

Special Note from the Author, Julie Cross:

I’m so excited to reveal this cover! I saw it months ago and not only loved it, but felt like I finally had something tangible to show the vibe of this story. Chasing Truth began as a teen romance featuring a girl with a unique past–she’s from a family of con-artists. Until recently, Ellie spent her entire life living under multiple identities, being everyone and anyone. So falling for new neighbor, Miles, as herself is brand new territory and that definitely creates a bit of a rocky relationship for my two leads. While the story is still built on all of that, it also evolved into a slightly different recipe as I wrote.

Chasing Truth is 1 part mystery/thriller, 1 part high school drama, 1 part family story, and 2 parts (maybe 3…) romance. If you’re a fan of the TV series Veronica Mars, you’ll find that Chasing Truth has a similar feel. I can’t wait for all of you to have a chance to the read the book in September, but for now, I’ll have to settle for showing off this beautiful cover!

At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions.

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.

Book Title: Chasing Truth (The Eleanor Ames Series, #1)
Author: Julie Cross
Release Date: Sept. 6, 2016
Genre: YA Thriller/Mystery

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).

She’s also the author of the Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA.
She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing cred, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a very limited, digital ARC of Chasing Truth, once it comes available (INT)

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Will's Story Tour: Jaye Robin Brown Interview & Giveaways

Welcome! Welcome!

For today's stop for the Will's Story tour, I had a very important Educator perspective question for Jaye Robin Brown. See what JRo has to say about being a Teacher and Writer.

Teaching and Writing – How does that work?

Can I say I loved being given the topic of how my teaching affects the creative process of writing? Both are things I’m passionate about and both are things that require a tremendous amount of dedication. So their co-existence is a bit of a marvel.

However, that said, I feel that my time with my students is a bit like living in a 24/7 story generator. When I write, particularly as someone far from her own teenage years, I check in constantly to make sure I’m not putting too much of an adult lens on my characters. I watch my students. Listen to my students. Engage with my students. And though I never lift a person whole cloth from life to the page, there are certainly pieces, mannerisms, and turns of phrase that make their way from classroom to creation.

I’m also fortunate because I’m the visual arts teacher. I think creativity feeds creativity and in guiding my students through that discovery process for themselves, it helps me with my own. It also works my hands as well as my head and I think when we can engage more of our own senses, that helps keep the creative juices flowing.

One negative impact of teaching on the creative process is time. As any teacher knows, the teacher life can consume. You could spend every waking minute thinking about your students, your classroom, and your program. I often think the whole old-fashioned model of spinster schoolmarm was there for a reason. Total dedication to other people’s children. But this is not then, and I feel like I’m a better teacher when I can bring a fuller experience to my students. And writing is one of those. So though it is sometimes nice to fantasize about full-time writer life, this is my reality. Which means I’ve learned to be disciplined and structured. I have a set time every morning (early, early, early!) and then the weekends. Evenings I’m usually too wiped out from the classroom.

And if I’m honest with myself, the structure and discipline of my job makes my writing better. In Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, BIG MAGIC, she has a chapter on writing and a day job. This quote resonated: “There’s no dishonor in having a job. What is dishonorable is scaring away your creativity by demanding that it pay for your entire existence.” As teachers, I think we are doubly lucky, because our job IS as creative as our writing.

So, write on fellow teachers! You are some of the most creative individuals out there.

No Place to Fall

by Jaye Robin Brown
Published December 9, 2015 by HarperTeen

Summary
Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends every Friday night hanging out at her best friend Devon’s house. It’s only when Amber goes exploring in the woods near her home, singing camp songs with the hikers she meets on the Appalachian Trail, that she feels free—and when the bigger world feels just a little bit more in reach.

When Amber learns about an audition at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she decides that her dream—to sing on bigger stages—could also be her ticket to a new life. Devon’s older (and unavailable) brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out for the hypercompetitive arts school. But the more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she’s such a good girl, after all.

Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family’s world—and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between “right” and “wrong,” there’s a whole world of possibilities.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Will's Story: A No Place to Fall Novella

by Jaye Robin Brown

Published April 5, 2016 by Epic Reads Impulse

Summary
Will McKinney is a bad boy. At least, he used to be. After nearly getting arrested for some poor decisions involving prescription drugs, Will has been trying to turn over a new leaf. Well, it’s that or suffer the wrath of his father, the judge. Will's starting to get his life in Sevenmile, North Carolina, in order. He’s applying to colleges. He's dating the most popular girl at school. And he recently discovered a love of playing the banjo and performing in front of a crowd. But it's that same love of music that draws him to Amber Vaughn, his younger teenage brother's best friend. Now Will finds himself wondering if he just might really be a bad guy because even though he's got a girlfriend, he can't stop thinking about Amber.

Will’s Story is a companion novella to Jaye Robin Brown's young adult debut, No Place to Fall, and perfect for fans of her novel and newcomers alike.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Jaye Robin Brown, or Jro to her friends, lives and writes in the mountains north of Asheville, North Carolina.

She's in awe of magic and beauty, and is a stalwart champion for the underdog, both human and other. When she's not writing, you can find her in the art room of the high school where she teaches, or on her small farm hanging out with her dogs, cats, and horses.

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