Thursday 14 January 2016

Blog Hiatus!


I'm off on holiday for nearly seven weeks so there won't be any posts while I'm away.


Hope you all have a good start to the year! :)



Month9Books Two for Thursday Book Blitz + Giveaway - Serpentine by Cindy Pon and Nameless by Jennifer Jenkins






Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday! #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!



Today, we will be showcasing two titles that will tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!



You just might find your next read!






This week, #T4T presents to you:









SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom

of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.






Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells
the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes.

By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self –
even as she falls in love for the first time.






“Vivid worldbuilding, incendiary romance, heart-pounding action, and characters that will win you over–I highly recommend Serpentine.” Cinda Williams Chima, best-selling author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles fantasy novels




“Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright’s transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it.” Kristin Cashore, NYT Bestseller of the Graceling Realm Series




“Serpentine’s world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you’ll want to lose yourself in.” Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites








WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:


"Serpentine is a beautifully written, diverse book with a unique mythology that isn't common place in YA books, which is sad to say. We need more books like this one."~ Katie, Blogger @ Mundie Moms



"Cindy introduces us to a story that is steeped in Chinese mythology. For me, that was a refreshing break from the Greco-Roman and Egyptian mythologies I studied in school. Although, the world-building was something new to me, the story itself was very familiar. SERPENTINE is a journey of discovery -- discovering who you are and how you fit into a destiny. That's a plot I will never get tired of reading, especially since Cindy presents it so well." Sophie, Blogger @ PageTurners




"Cindy Pon captures your imagination with beautifully written world building and freshly dynamic characters. You will find yourself completely engulfed in this world of Chinese mythology and fascinating worlds." Reading Teen




add to goodreads




Amazon | B&N | BAM | Chapters | Indiebound | Kobo 
 
TBD | Google Play | iBooks




















 Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com.





Connect with Cindy: 
 
Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Tumblr


 

 












Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.

Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe. What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.


 




WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:



"Wow....WOW, WOW, WOW! I have no words to describe how much I love this book. Jenkins writes characters who are just so easy to love, and when you love a character it makes the book so much better. And I loved all the characters. Zo, Tess, Joshua and Gryphon. Gryphon is definitely my favorite - but who wouldn't love Gryphon? Of course I do have a soft spot for our heroine, Zo." Bri, Blogger @ Once Upon A Twilight




"Nameless destroyed me in the best way possible. The romance was subtle, but written beautifully. The plot was very intriguing and the pacing was spot on. I loved the entire cast of characters, every single one of them added to the story. Trust me when I say you should preorder it, add it to your TBR, request it from your library, do whatever you have to do to get this book in your hands because if you are a YA fantasy fan like me you need this book in your life!" Bridget, Blogger @ Dark Faerie Tales




"NAMELESS is epic storytelling at its best. My mind is still reeling from the world that I have just been immersed in and I don't want to leave it. Can I please have the sequel NOW? Because I need to know what happens next but in the meantime I'm just going to re-read it again and again. Is it that good, you may ask? Hell yes!!! And you will think so too. Trust me." Nancy, Blogger @ Tales of A Ravenous Reader



"To say that I love this book is an understatement. It completely blew me away! I am so happy that I took a chance on it. NAMELESS is one book that you can re-read over and over again and it will still feel fresh! I cannot wait for the world to read it and fall under the NAMELESS spell. Because that’s what I feel like I am under, a spell that has me trapped in Zo's world and won’t let me out! I don’t want out!" Damaris, Blogger @ Good Choice Reading




"Wow this one was addictive!! For fans of An Ember in the Ashes, Under the Never Sky, and The Winner's Curse, Nameless captured my attention and held it until the very end. Quick read. Slowburn romance. Great world-buildling. Awesome plot."  Rachel, Blogger @ A Perfection Called Books



"From the start of the story until the very last page, Jennifer Jenkins took me on an emotional ride. Through action, and heartbreak, and healing and relationships forming out of hatred and mistrust, she has created a story of hope and faith and choosing how you want to live your life, and the beliefs that you want to hold, regardless of others around you." Jaime, Blogger @ The Best Books Ever



"Fantasy fans, do not miss out on this epic new series. It's got everything that you could ever possibly want out of a all-consuming fantasy book: fierce characters, twisty plot, stunning world building, captivating prose and my favorite, a romance that will make you want to shout out your love for the couple at the top of your lungs. Do yourself a favor, and buy this book right away." Nick, Blogger @ Nicks Book Blog




"Electrifying and intense and instantly and completely captivating, NAMELESS is one of those reads that will make you race through the pages to find out what’s going to happen next. With a fascinating new world to discover, one that is primitive, harsh, brutal, and intriguing new characters to meet who are fierce and determined and deadly, some of whom are cruel and others who are compassionate, you will be immediately pulled into the story and you’ll never want the journey to end." Rachel, Blogger @ Fiktshun




add to goodreads




Amazon | TBD | Chapters | B&N | Google Play 
 
IndieBound | Kobo | iBooks













Jennifer Jenkins



With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.


Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).


Visit her online at jajenkins.com






Connect with the Author:  
 
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads  
 
Pinterest | Instagram











Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!



 Giveaway Details: 3 winners will receive an eBook of SERPENTINE & NAMELESS. International!



a Rafflecopter giveaway




Wednesday 13 January 2016

Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway - Shade Me by Jennifer Brown


Find the tour schedule here.







Series: Nikki Kill #1
Release date: January 19th 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Purchase: Amazon


SYNOPSIS VIA GOODREADS:


Nikki Kill does not see the world like everyone else. In her eyes, happiness is pink, sadness is a mixture of brown and green, and lies are gray. Thanks to a rare phenomenon called synesthesia, Nikki’s senses overlap, in a way that both comforts and overwhelms her.

Always an outsider, just one ‘D’ shy of flunking out, Nikki’s life is on the fast track to nowhere until the night a mysterious call lights her phone up bright orange—the color of emergencies. It’s the local hospital. They need Nikki to identify a Jane Doe who is barely hanging on to life after a horrible attack.

The victim is Peyton Hollis, a popular girl from Nikki’s school who Nikki hardly knows. One thing is clear: Someone wants Peyton dead. But why? And why was Nikki’s cell the only number in Peyton’s phone?

As she tries to decipher the strange kaleidoscope of clues, Nikki finds herself thrust into the dark, glittering world of the ultra-rich Hollis family, and drawn towards Peyton’s handsome, never-do-well older brother Dru. While Nikki’s colors seem to help her unravel the puzzle, what she can’t see is that she may be falling into a trap. The only truth she can be sure of is that death is a deep, pulsing crimson. 










When did you start writing?
I wrote my first short story when I was eight. I’ve always written as a way to entertain myself. But it wasn’t until 2000 that I started to consider that I could maybe get published. It was then that I began writing for a purpose.


What makes you want to write?

I tend to be driven by feelings when it comes to writing. Words are my way of expressing myself and working out tough issues in my own heart. That was definitely true when I was younger—I wrote a ton of angsty poetry—but it’s also true now. The issues and themes that I tackle in my books tend to be feelings-based. They’re a way for me to explore my own outlook on an issue, but also to explore all sides of the issue, so I can get a better understanding of it.


Do you ever get writer's block and what do you do to get over it?

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I think when we call it “writer’s block,” it makes it feel like something that’s happening to us, which is a pretty helpless feeling. That won’t get you anywhere. Instead, I try to pinpoint exactly what’s going on. Am I bored with the story? Am I worried about something in my personal life? Am I over-editing? Am I just feeling lazy? I think once you pinpoint exactly what it is that has you temporarily “stuck,” it’s easier to get out of it. Because it really is true that the only way out of “writer’s block” is through it. Just keep writing until the words start to come easily again. 


Do you have a special way of going about writing?

Not really. I am pretty blessed in that I’m able to write anywhere at any time. And every project is different, so I might take a different approach every time.


Do you have any works in progress?
I am currently in revisions for Dare You, which is the working title for the second book in the Nikki Kill series. 


What are your hobbies? 

My biggest hobby is reading. I have always been a very devoted reader, and can’t think of a time when I wasn’t carrying a book with me everywhere I went. I also like to travel. And I’m a closet foodie.


Who is your favourite character in Shade Me? 

I love Nikki. I think she’s a badass and I wish I could be more like her. I also have a real fond place in my heart for Detective Martinez. Especially after writing book 2. He’s a little sexy.


How did you get the idea for Shade Me?

I am sort of fascinated by synesthesia. I love the idea of this girl, who’s never really appreciated her synesthesia as a gift or a talent, suddenly finding a use for it that is pretty important. In the past, I’ve written some characters who are brave in handling the things that happen to them, but with Nikki, I can have a character who goes out and makes things happen. It’s different, and I like that about her.


What was your favourite part of writing Shade Me?

I love writing the fight scenes. And I also love writing romancey scenes. Just because both of those are relatively new to me, and I’m having a lot of fun with them.

 
What are you currently reading? 

I just finished The Martian by Andy Weir and am getting ready to start Dumplin by Julie Murphy.


What is your favourite book? 

This makes a lot of teens groan, but my favorite book of all time is The Grapes of Wrath. I love the message of resilience and the exploration of the ultimately undefeatable human spirit.


Who is your favourite author? 

I have so many! The author I’ve read the most of is Stephen King, so I guess he must be my favorite-favorite.

 
What is your favourite film?

Probably Forrest Gump. It’s such an epic adventure and I love that.


What is your favourite TV show?


I watch a lot of cooking shows (see foodie hobby above). But the show I never miss is Modern Family. And the best series I’ve ever watched was for sure Breaking Bad.


Quick-fire questions:


Chocolate or ice cream? Ice cream.
Paperback or ebook? Usually hardcover. So I guess paperback.
Dogs or cats? Cats.
Go out or stay in? Stay in.
Summer or winter? Winter. The more snow the better!









ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Brown is the author of acclaimed young adult novels, Hate List, Bitter End, Perfect Escape, Thousand Words, and Torn Away. Her debut novel, Hate List, received three starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA "Perfect Ten," and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Bitter End received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and VOYA and is listed on the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Her debut middle grade novel, Life on Mars, was released in 2014, and her second middle grade novel, How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel will be released in summer 2015. She also writes women's fiction under the name Jennifer Scott.
Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.











Tour-wide giveaway

 


Tuesday 12 January 2016

Review - Sever by J.M. Miller



Title: Sever
Author: J.M. Miller
Pages: 195
Release date: 25th January 2015

Blurb from Goodreads: 
 
One simple decision can end a future.
One simple persuasion can sever a life.

The moment Annisyn Kane slips her rake pick into the lock of a stranger's door, the straight life she's led the last few years is scratched out. In the past, the goal was never theft. It was to escape. From life. From death. To quiet the dreams that replayed an affliction she longed to forget. This night, though, was different. She was out of options.

The isolated house was supposed to be an easy target. In and out. No problems. But the simple job takes a twisted turn when Annisyn comes face to face with the only real love she ever had.

Five years ago, she could have persuaded Damian Mead to stay. She wasn't willing to be the end of his future, so she let him go. Before the emotions from their tangled past have a chance to spin between them, Annisyn discovers that their startling encounter is the least of the night's problems. There's someone else in the house, and the only thing on his mind is revenge.

*recommended ages 17+ for mature content*











My Review:

 *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Book Enthusiast Promotions and NetGalley*

 3/5 stars

After trying to get her life on the straight and narrow, Annisyn Kane finds herself picking the lock of a stranger's house. The job is supposed to be easy but then Syn realises that the home is that of her ex-boyfriend, Damian. He's the only man Syn's ever loved and she left him so that he wouldn't have to sacrifice his future for her.
Syn goes to leave before Damien sees her but realises that something is wrong - there's someone else in the house. Someone who wants revenge.


Sever was told half in the present and half in the past. The present followed Syn and Damian as they attempted to survive and escape the dangerous situation they were in and the past explained how the two met, grew close and then grew apart. I enjoyed reading both parts - the present was suspenseful and the past was interesting.
I liked Syn and felt sorry for her; she had experienced a traumatic event in her childhood and as a result she was tough and didn't trust people, always carrying a knife and pepper spray.
The romance was realistic and didn't seem rushed. I could feel the connection between Syn and Damian.
The plot was intriguing and held my attention. The writing style was easy to follow.

 
Overall this was an enjoyable read.



 

Monday 11 January 2016

Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway - The Divide (Dreamland, #2) by E.J. Mellow


Find the tour schedule here.





The Divide (Dreamland #2) by E.J. Mellow
Publication date: October 15th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult

Synopsis:

Molly finally uncovers the truth about the strange dreams that plagued her sanity for weeks. Now destined to accept a clandestine role, Molly must find the strength and courage buried deep to push forward and succeed.

With the help of Dev, the roguish blue-eyed man of her dreams—whose dark past resurfaces to haunt him—Molly prepares to test the limits of her newly awakened powers and set right a world on the edge of being consumed by nightmares.

But when an unknown shadow stalks her every step and a shocking revelation about her ancestry comes to light, Molly may find herself forced to make a decision that could leave her alone in the dark and standing on the wrong side of a divide.

Don’t miss The Divide—the heart-thumping second installment in The Dreamland Series.






Purchase:









When did you start writing?


I was always making up stories when I was little and took a creative writing class in high school that really had me falling in love with fiction. But it wasn’t until much later that I started to take writing and my stories seriously as something to share and publish.  




‪What makes you want to write?


Probably that my stories won’t stop bothering me until they are put down on paper. I feel restless until they are out of my head. 




‪Do you ever get writer's block and what do you do to get over it?


It’s not so much writer’s block, but more not being particularly inspired to always want to write. I usually have a lot of my plots figured out or can continually concept until something makes sense, but to then actually sit down and get the words flowing…well that’s a different story ;). Something that helps though, and gets me excited to begin, is sketching or looking up images that relate to my world. I’m a pretty visual person, so often times a picture or artistic style can be a really great catalyst to my creativity and written world. 




‪Do you have a special way of going about writing?


I’m definitely not a pantser. I have to plot outline and then chapter outline before I begin any real writing. I might jot down a scene or a description of a place that pops into my head randomly, but that goes into my inspiration folder to look at later. I like to gather as much visual, musical, and informational reference as I can before writing my story. Of course, my characters like to change things up a lot while I’m writing, but I always tend to forgive them for it.  




‪Do you have any works in progress?


I’m currently finishing up a novella companion piece to The Dreamland Series called The Dreamcatcher, which is comprised of scenes from The Dreamer told from Dev’s (my male protagonists) POV. I’m looking to have this out early 2016. And I’m also starting on the third and final book in my series.  




‪What are your hobbies? 


I love to doodle characters and take photos. I also love to read and travel when I can. 




‪How did you choose the character names for The Divide?


I specifically chose names whose meanings are representative of what kind of persons they are. Wise, hot tempered, beautiful, power hungry, warrior, etc. I touch on the importance of this a bit in The Dreamer, the first book in my series, but if you ever wonder about a certain character introduced, look up the meaning of the name, and it will give you a little hint of his or her role.




Who is your favourite character in The Divide? 


Oof, tough one…I think Rae really came to life for me in The Divide as a character. His humor and loyalty to his friends is very endearing so he was really fun to write.




‪How did you get the idea for The Divide?


I think the best way to answer this is to explain how I came up with the series as a whole. The idea for, The Dreamland Series, actually started as a dream. I’ve always had very vivid ones and I had one that lasted a whole week. Yup, a week! With the same characters and plot continuing on each night. It felt like I was going to sleep and clicking on a TV show and…there was a guy…and yes, he was very good looking. I woke up one morning, a couple days into the dreams, and actually felt sad that I wasn’t still there. It was super odd. For those of you who have read “The Dreamer,” you can probably see the connections here. Eventually the dreams stopped, but I kept thinking about them and how strange it was to have recurring ones for so many nights. I had never experienced anything like it before or, so far, ever again. I told a friend about it, and through that conversation is how my story for this series came about. I was actually in the middle of writing a different book, but I put that aside to write this one—that’s how much it affected me. 




‪What was your favourite part of writing The Divide?


Definitely getting to explore more of Terra. Since it’s the second book in the series the readers, as well as I, can come into the story already knowing a bit about the world. This leaves a lot of room to go head first into new territories and characters.


‪ 

‪What are you currently reading?


Queen of Shadow by Sarah J. Maas. Obsessed with all her work. 




‪What is your favourite book? 


Super hard question! Can anyone really answer this? I think I have a favorite book for every day of the week and type of weather.




‪Who is your favourite author? 


Another tough one! Hmm…I’ll have to list a few. Jane Austen, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Sarah J. Maas, Marie Lu, Emma Raveling, Amy A. Bartol, R.S. Grey, Marissa Meyer, J.K. Rowling and I’m definitely leaving at least a hundred others off this list!




‪What is your favourite film?


Favorite classical film would have to be GiGi and My Fair Lady (I have a thing for musicals), Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightly, My Blue Heaven with Steve Martin and definitely the first Harry Potter. 


‪ 

‪What is your favourite TV show?


This also changes a lot but my current tops would probably be Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Seinfeld and Jessica Jones.






‪Quick-fire questions:



‪Chocolate or ice cream? Chocolate.

 ‪Paperback or ebook? Paperback.

 ‪Dogs or cats? Cats.

 ‪Go out or stay in? Stay in.

‪Summer or winter? Yes.




Thank you so much for having me for this Q&A and being a part of my tour to celebrate the release of The Divide! I could do these quick fire questions all day :).

x

E.J.







About the Author


I'm the author behind the NA Contemporary Fantasy trilogy The Dreamland Series. When I'm not busy moonlighting in the realm of make-believe, I can be found doodling, buried in a book (usually this one), or playing video games. 







You can find me on: 








Tour-wide giveaway

INT giveaway



Hosted by: