Book Spotlight: Daughter of the Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis

 
Coming December 21st, Daughter of the earht and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis. Second book in the Daughters of Zeus Series!

Blurb:

Some vows can never be broken.

Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong.

The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone's silence.

He wants her soul.

Persephone can't tell anyone about Thanatos' betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa's jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.

Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?

Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn't, she could lose them both.

But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?
 
Excerpt from Daughter of the earth and the sky!

I'd been here before. My bare feet glided over the leaf-strewn path, unharmed by the rocks and twigs crunching beneath me. Massive live oaks draped with Spanish moss created a canopy above me, transforming the forest path into a tunnel of speckled sunlight. The air was heavy with humidity. The moist heat pressed against my skin and stole the breath from my lungs. By the time I reached the path’s end, my Eeyore nightshirt clung to my skin.

"Dungeoness." I came to a halt when I recognized the sprawling ruins of the ancient ivy-covered brick and stone manor.

Athens Academy took my class on a week-long trip to Georgia's coastal islands freshmen year. Cumberland Island was a major highlight because of the sea turtles, wild horses, and these ruins.
"Good job, Persephone,” I muttered, kicking at a branch. “You’ve figured out where you are, but how did you get here?" I knelt to pick up a smooth, white stone, tucking damp tendrils of hair behind my ears so I could see better. The rock looked and felt real. I ran my hand over the smooth stone, turning it over and tracing the shape. The weight of it in my hand reassured me.

I turned, hoping the path held some answers, but it was no longer there. I stood on the grass-covered shoreline looking out to sea. In the distance, a girl stood thigh high in the ocean, clad in a gown of strategically placed sea foam. Although her back was to me, I could tell she was perfect. The curly ringlets of hair cascading down her flawless cream skin matched the intense orange of the sky as the sun sank in the sea.

I glanced down at my sun-kissed skin, self-conscious. She was really pretty. A movement caught my attention and I glanced up as she looked over her shoulder, aquamarine eyes meeting mine. Then she spoke. I was shocked to hear Boreas' cold voice roll off her tongue. "Zeus lives."

I stumbled backward. Boreas, the god of winter. My mind flashed back to that horrible day in the clearing last winter. Boreas’ cold laughter. His fingers digging in my hair as he pulled me across the frozen ground. Melissa’s eyes widening as she choked on her last breath. The rush of power that gave me the strength to put Death himself, and Boreas, under my control.

A soul for a soul. I’d bargained with Thanatos, the god of death, and killed Boreas without a second thought, saving my best friend.

Now images shoved their way through my thoughts: Cumberland Island, two sunsets, lightning cracking in the sky. My mind screamed against the onslaught. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to think the word that would make it all stop.

I bolted up in bed with a gasp. A weight in my hand made me look down. I unclenched my fist, revealing the white stone from Dungeoness.
 
For more info check out the authors website: http://kaitlinbevis.com/

The Kiss Off Blog Tour: Promo post & Tour Catch Up!

 
I have been hosting the last two weeks of The Kiss Off Blog Tour and I just want to thank author Sarah Billington for letting me host. Mine hosting part is over but it does continue till the end of December so make sure you check out the rest of the posts! Here is a little about The Kiss Off and if you have missed any of the tour stops since December 3rd you can hop along and show the others blogs some comment love! Also leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of The Kiss Off!

Blurb:

The Kiss OffWARNING: Sexual references, occassional coarse language.
When sixteen year old Poppy Douglas writes a song about her ex-boyfriend Cam and ex-friend Nikki, she has no idea that her heartbreak is about to go global.

A local band picks up her song from Youtube and soon she’s along for the ride with her own fanbase as they blow up on the local club scene and hit the international charts. Though it turns out leaving Cam behind isn’t as easy as she had hoped.

Tangled in a web of unfinished homework, ill-considered sexting and a new lead-singer boyfriend, Poppy has a choice to make between the ex that inspired it all and the rock God whose poster lines the inside of half the lockers at school. But as she struggles to keep her emotional dirty laundry private, she learns that the truth can be hard to find when your life is in the headlines.



AUTHOR BIOPicture

Sarah Billington is an Australian writer and editor who likes to write stories with love, laughs, suspense and zombies. Sometimes all in the same story. Her favouritest thing to write about are those horrendously awkward moments that come with being a teenager. Or a human being. Sarah was extremely accident-prone and klutzy as a kid and teen, so her cup runneth over with experiences of horrendously awkward moments to draw from in her writing. Thankfully, she has grown out of her klutziness. Mostly. She is, however, still an embarrassment.

She loves a variety of random things, which include doggies (hers as well as yours), Swing Dancing, Ice Hockey, Roller Derby and she is a bit obsessive about paranormal investigation shows and channel E!. She writes light-hearted works under Sarah Billington, and darker, scarier and more torturous stories under her pen name, Edwina Ray.

She also runs an editing, cover design and ebook formatting company Billington Media.


Coming in 2013: The Kiss Off 2!

The money's in! Poppy's royalties for penning the accidental hit song The Kiss Off that shot her boyfriend's band to super-stardom are in and she knows EXACTLY what she's doing with it.

EXCERPT:


“See that?” I said, pointing at the feature band name on the flyer. “Academy of Lies are headlining Bay Fest over in Tallulah Shores.”
“They’re headlining? Are you serious?” Mads said.
I grinned. “Pack your bags, baby.”
“Shut up.”
“Two words: road trip,” I said. “One word: camping.”
“Shut up.”
“Five wor — is it five? Yeah — five words: One week by the sea.”
“Shut up.”
“Four more words-”
“Enough with the words already.”
“I’m nearly done,” I said, “four final words: you, me and Van.”
She bit her bottom lip, staring at me when her hands started wringing in front of her again. And she started bouncing.
“No,” I said, “no, no. You shut up. You start screaming again and you’re not coming.”
Instead, Mads squeezed me in a bear hug and planted a kiss on my cheek. “I’m going to Babe Fest. I’m going to Babe Fest!”
Bay Music Festival. Of all the nicknames in the world, it could have been a lot worse.

THE KISS OFF 2 will include:

A road trip with an unexpected passenger.
Camping.
The realization too late that they don't actually like camping.
Sunburns.
Accidental topless swimming.
Paparazzi punch ups.
A news-worthy (yet totally false) love triangle.
Obsessed fan girls.
A stalker.
And an overwhelming request from someone super-famous.

 Stalk the author:




Buy Sarah's Books:

 
Tour Catch up:
 
 
 

Altered Blog Tour: Guest post: If Altered was made into a movie?

Author Aubrey Coletti has stopped by today with a guest post for the Altered Blog Tour.
 
If Altered was made into a movie?
 
I wouldn’t go so far as to say every author nowadays dreams of having their book made into a movie: but probably most of us do. I will openly confess that I spend a good percentage of my day, ahem, planning out the “Altered” film (the rest of my time is spent in the all important acts of perusing the internet, sleeping, and, every now and then, working). So why not join me and encourage my totally productive lifestyle? You agree? Oh, lovely.


Casting for “Altered” would require mostly unknowns, as the main characters are
all  teenagers, none of whom I can see beingplayed by current young adult actors. What is more, I am not generally a fan of the practice of having twenty-year-olds play fourteen and fifteen year olds in movies and shows. While I understand that due to child labor laws many studios prefer actors over eighteen, as a former anorexic I can say that watching fully physically developed actors in their twenties playing fifteen-year-olds does contribute to our media’s unrealistic body image. I tried to make “Altered” as true to life as possible in the writing, so I would only feel right casting actors within the age range of the characters.

In terms of the adult main characters, however, I do have some ideas. Mrs. Carter is, in essence, a loving mother gone too far: and I can think of few actresses who can combine sweetness and steel better than Morena Baccarin. Opposite (and often opposing) Mrs. Carter is the Headmistress, a character who needs to be both alluring and frightening, traits which actress Lucy Lawless has perfected over the years. “Altered” is a very fast-paced action- and drama-packed novel, so adapting the book to script wouldn’t be difficult. The trick would be striking the balance between the twists and turns of the plot, and the necessity of keeping the characters and their struggles at the forefront. But, like so many authors, it is a challenge I would love to have the chance to meet.



Title: Altered

Author: Aubrey Coletti

Publisher: Escape Artists Press

Blub: When Toni, Joseph and Charlie arrive at their new boarding school, they are glad to leave their families - and respective problems - behind. Isolated as boarders, they meet a handsome senior with a personality like iced snake's blood, teachers with a penchant for physical punishment, and four other outcasts who reveal that their being brought to the Academy wasn't random at all. When the arrivals discover that their new school is engaged in "behavior modification" through electric shocks, isolation, restraints, and an ever-evolving set of methods to "fix" them, they declare war on their Academy. During their campaign of sabotage, they fight, hate, scorn, love, and begin to uncover the reasons why they were brought to the school. But as their war against the school escalates beyond their control, will they become the very things the Academy believes they are: dangerous, delinquent - and mad?

Buy Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble Smashwords
Media Links: Website Twitter Facebook


About Aubrey Coletti
 
Aubrey is a twenty year old author, singer-songwriter, dancer and choreographer who attends Sarah Lawrence College. In love with reading since she was young, her favorite writers include Tamora Pierce, Joss Whedon, and Chris Claremont. A passionate fan of those artists and writers she enjoys, she may be found answering questions for fans on her own website any day of the week. Ms. Coletti is currently working on the sequel to "Altered."









*I do not own any of the pictures used*

YA Feature: Cassandra Giovanni


The Author:

Cassandra Giovanni is an avid writer of young adult novels and can't wait to share her work with you. The genres of her novels include dystopian, paranormal, mystery and romance all aimed at appealing to adults and young adults alike. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. She began writing at a very young age, in fact from the moment she could draw she was telling stories that way. At age seven she won a contest in American Girl Doll to have a chapter she had written published. From that point on she was always writing, if not on paper than in her head. In May 2012 she published her first novel, In Between Seasons, which demonstrated her unique writing style and approach to the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. On Halloween 2012 Cassandra released her second novel, Walking in the Shadows. This novel puts a new twist on the obsession of vampires in literature and explores some of the darkest parts of human nature, while still showing that there is always hope--if we only choose to believe in ourselves. Cassandra is also attending college to receive her degree in marketing, so that she can expand her photography company, Gio Design Studios, into a publication marketing company.

Writing:

I can't really tell you when I started writing or what go me writing. I asked my parents when I started writing and their response was "you were always writing. We don't remember a time when you weren't." I stopped writing in high school because I lost faith in myself after a teacher basically ripped my writing to shreds. In 2008 I watched a movie inspired by a book; I read the book and then I sat down and re-wrote it. It was probably awful, but it got me writing again, and I haven't stopped since.
 

The Books:

In Between Seasons is my debut novel, and it's a young adult romance with a post-apocalyptic backdrop. The characters don't really have an understanding of what happened to create the world they are living in, but this misunderstanding helps to shape them into the people that they become in the book. I never set out to write a dystopian, it was about Hunter and Kate and them going from who they were supposed to be to who they were meant to be. The inspiration of the novel was from the building on the cover. I'm a photographer and when I drove by this building for the first time I couldn't stop thinking about taking photos of it...and then I had a dream about Kate and Hunter and the building was there. I needed to understand the characters from the three brief flashes I had and the emotions I felt. The first flash was of Hunter kidnapping Kate. I think my banking training kicked in on this scene. We are trained to be kidnapped, and the first thing they say is: Don't under any circumstances fight, why? That's what will get you killed. It was when Hunter and Kate's eyes met that I saw it was more than just instincts kicking in. There was so much pain in his eyes, and I knew he wouldn't hurt her. She was what would fix him and he was what would keep her stable as she learned about the vague but awful world she was living in. Next, I saw the take over...it was mostly blurry images and running. There was one thing that resounded more than the people who were involved, fear. I need something to symbolize that, so I found it. The last scene was on the beach, which was when everything was resolved, and things felt whole. As whole as the could be considering what had happened.

Walking in the Shadows was based solely on a dream I had about Vera and Tad. In the scene Tad pulls Vera into a closet and they share what felt like a forbidden kiss, one that was based on feelings more than physical yearning. The thing that confused me was the fact that Tad wasn't much older than Vera, so what would make it forbidden. The beginning of the scene was in an auditorium and he was dressed in a formal button-up and tie. He had to be a teacher, so that was how the relationship was formed, but I needed something more than that. I started thinking about the vast obsession with vampires and wanted to take my own very realistic, but scary spin on it.

Bookies Questions:
 
Fave genre and why?

I don't really have a favorite genre, I read everything, but I really like contemporary romances, or romances that are more about emotions than all physical and stuff. I think the reason is because a romance can really alter a person in a good way or a bad way, and as humans we are influenced by the ones we love to be who we are, or who we aren't.

Fave book series and why?

I'm going to be honest right now, I don't particularly like series. They tend to drag, but growing up my favorite series was a Heartland, which is about a girl who heals horses using natural holistic methods. I grew up riding horses and love them to death. The first novel I wrote when I was fifteen was a horse novel.

Fave author and why?

Jane Austen, why? She's amazing in the way she explores human nature and expresses it. Plus, she has the same sense of humor as me.

An author you recommend to my readers?

Candace Knoebel, she's a brand new author and her first novel Born in Flames just recently came out. I really liked her style of writing and her imagination is great!

Stalk the author:

Buy Cassandra's Books:

Amazon!

Inbetween Seasons
Walking in the Shadows

B&N!

In Between Seasons

Walking in the Shadows

Directly from the author and book merchandise:http://www.etsy.com/shop/CGiovanniWrites

Cover Reveal: Camp Boyfriend by J.K Rock

Cover Reveal Time! I have a great cover reveal for you today! This is the first cover reveal for Spencer Hill Press's YA contemporary imprint!


Title: Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend #1)
Author: J.K. Rock

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Release date: July 2nd 2013

Blurb:

CAMP BOYFRIEND
 
The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.
They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?
 
Sound like a great read! Add it to Goodreads
 
Now for the cover!
 
 
 
My Opinion: I think it looks great. I love the colours used. It looks very contempoary and I would pick it up if I saw it on the shelves!
 
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
 
 



 

 


 

Book Blast & Giveaway: The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton


Theresa McClinton blog badge for The End of The World book blast/giveaway

When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.
Celebrate the end of the Mayan Calendar by picking up Theresa McClinton's dark YA parnormal romance, The Stone Guardian!

Blurb:

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.
Probably because they’re not nightmares.
When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.
When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…

Author Bio:

A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

All Romance books


There are many great blogs helping celebrate Theresa's new book. You can head over and check out their blogs if you have a chance!




To Celebrate the author is having a great giveaway! Simply enter the rafflectopter to be in with a chance of winning!



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Book Blast: The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman - $100 Amazon Giftcard

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
 

The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman

A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.

When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.

Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love.

The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.

Praise for The Jelly Bean Crisis

The Jelly Bean Crisis is a heart warming and thought provoking story, especially if you're in the process of figuring out your life!"  - Ajoop On Books!

"This book had me riveted. Completely riveted the entire time. The Jelly Bean Crisis was instant love for me."  - Book Briefs

Purchase

Author Jolene Stockman

Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of Total Blueprint for World Domination. The Jelly Bean Crisis is her debut fiction.

Stalk the author:

***Book Blast Special***
Get your Kindle copy of The Jelly Bean Crisis for 99 cents!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Jelly-Bean-Crisis-ebook/dp/B008PODAAK

Giveaway:

$100 Amazon Giftcard
Ends 21/12/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Jolene and leave the others blank.*



 
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