Book Blitz: Backward Compatible by Sarah Daltry + Pete Clark

Book Blitz: Counting Shadows by Olivia Rivers

Today I'm featuring a book called Counting Shadows. Counting Shadows is a young adult fantasy book written by Olivia Rivers.

Counting Shadows by Olivia Rivers
Series: Duplicity #1
Release Date: June 30, 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Two hearts, one kiss…
…Nothing left.

Faye’s soul-mate is everything she should hate—an Angel, an outcast, an enemy. Ashe is just one more imperfection in her life that somehow makes everything… perfect.

Until he’s murdered.

With the only person she loves ripped away, Faye sets out to avenge Ashe’s death. The task seems impossible, until she finds Lor—an Angel who looks nearly identical to Ashe’s killer. Arrogant and hot-headed, Lor is everything Ashe wasn’t. But Lor is connected to her soul-mate’s past, and Faye needs him to find the killer—even if Lor is potentially deadly.

But when Faye discovers that Ashe’s past isn’t as black and white as she thought, she faces an impossible choice: Give up the hunt, and risk the lives of others. Or continue pursuing Ashe’s murderer, and forfeit the lives of everyone in her family—including herself.

About The Author

Olivia Rivers is the author of five novels, ranging in genres from Epic Fantasy to Contemporary Romance. Along with being a writer, she’s a freelance digital artist, a literary agent assistant, and a high school student. She’s a nerd at heart, and is a hopeless fan-girl for Doctor Who and Pokémon. Olivia lives in California with a dog who thinks he’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and a kitten who is just generally confused.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Excerpt:

His black eyes settle on mine, the pain in them a silent accusation. Ashe knows he’s about to die. And he knows I’ve lied about his Fate.

I can’t feel guilt. I can’t feel anything. There’s only my ragged breaths and the tears pressing against my eyes. Ashe steps toward me, even though I’m in the opposite direction of the door. No, I silently beg him. Run. I don’t realize I’m shaking my head until he falters.

“Stop,” one of the guards hisses, even though he already has. “Don’t go near the Lady Faye.”

My heart pounds wildly. “Just count the beats when you get scared,” Ashe told me months ago, as he pressed his palm over my heart. “Remember that I’ll protect you until the day they stop. And don’t be scared anymore.”

I gasp in air. One, two, three, four…

He walks toward me, his face hard with determination.

Five, six, seven…

One of the guards shouts and stabs his spear forward. At Ashe. My Ashe.

My heart stops.

I scream at the guard, telling him to stop, to leave, to disappear and never show his face again. But my words are a jumbled mess, and it’s too late. The spear pierces Ashe’s right wing, drawing blood. Nausea fills me as the red blood mingles with his crimson feathers. I’ve always loved his wings. They mark him as an Angel, the one bit of perfection in my life.

Now those wings are ruined.

Ashe’s eyes never leave me, even as the guard tears his spear out of the wound. I swallow hard. I’ve never stared into his eyes for too long, knowing I’d probably lose myself in all the pain and loneliness in their depths. Now I never want to look away.

“Get moving,” the guard with the bloodied spear growls. He stabs at Ashe again, but Ashe grabs the shaft of the spear before it strikes him. He yanks the spear from the guard and snaps it in two. Ashe allows one of the halves to clatter to the stone floor, but keeps hold of the sharpened end. His gaze slowly sweeps over the four guards with weapons, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

“You can’t do this,” I say, finally finding my voice. “My father would never allow it.”

“Your father ordered this,” snaps the guard without a spear. He braces for an attack, as do the others.

Then their leader takes a step forward and pushes out a staying hand. “Wait.”

I recognize this leader as Jolik. He was my bodyguard for awhile before Ashe became my Guardian. I’m not sure how many bodyguards I went through—five, six?—but they never lasted long before I excused them.

Jolik nods to Ashe. “Let him say goodbye.”

The weaponless guard speaks up. “He could kill her.”

“He won’t,” Jolik says, shaking his head.

Ashe doesn’t wait for Jolik to change his mind. He drops the broken spear and rushes to me. Cupping my face with one hand, he uses the other to press me against him. Familiar heat radiates off him this close. He tilts my chin up and kisses me so gently, I barely feel his lips against mine. But I can feel the desperation, and as he presses me a little closer, I know this is a goodbye.

The kiss only lasts a moment. Then the guards drag him away, and those threatening tears finally spill. I’m not sure if the tears are angry or anguished. Or maybe just broken.

“You’re right, little sparrowhawk,” Ashe says over his shoulder. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

I don’t get to respond. The last guard exits my chambers and slams the heavy door closed, leaving me truly alone for the first time in years. I take a shuddering breath, willing the doors to burst open, for Ashe to come rushing back to me.

They don’t. Silence settles over the room, screaming the truth:

Nothing will ever be okay.

Purchase:

Amazon

Book Blitz: Alive by Megan D. Martin

Today I'm featuring a book called Alive. Alive is a New Adult/Post-Apocalyptic book written by Megan D. Martin. I love both New Adult and Post-Apocalyptic fiction, so it's awesome that this book combines both genres. Megan is also hosting a giveaway, which can be found at the bottom of this post.

Alive by Megan D. Martin
Series: Crave #1
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Release Date: November 22, 2013

Flesh-eating zombies, dirty sex, and a shattered past…
What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?

Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it. It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it…

Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…

About The Author

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.

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Purchase Alive

Smashwords | Amazon

Excerpt

“Come here,” he whispered, barely recognizing his own voice. He heard her movement in the dark, the rustling of leaves against the thick soles of her boots. His hand slipped down her arm and he reveled at the smooth skin.

“Don’t touch me.” The harsh words were a shock to his system. She jerked her arm away and scooted away from him. What the hell?

“Eve—”

“Go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

He took a deep breath trying to get his rioting emotions under control. “How do I know you won’t try to kill me while I sleep?”

“You don’t.”

Giveaway

$10 Amazon gift card (open internationally!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Shalini Boland, Author of The Perimeter

The Perimeter by Shalini Boland
Series: The Outsider #3
Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult
Release Date: November 18, 2013

In this fractured world, a sinister force is coming for Riley, and the only things keeping her safe are a perimeter fence and the people she loves. As her life is threatened, she must make impossible choices. But help comes from the most unlikely of places, and all Riley needs to know is: who can she really trust?

Meanwhile, a repentant killer searches for peace and salvation, but what he gets is the exact opposite. Now he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life.

The Perimeter is a darkly captivating dystopian tale of adventure, danger, love and redemption that will have you on the edge of your seat and up at night turning the pages to find out what happens next . . .

About The Series:

Set in the near future, these three heart-stopping novels follow Riley as she overcomes the murder of her younger sister by tracking down the killer across a post-apocalyptic Britain. At the same time, she is forced to take on the might of a twisted regime intent on conquering the nation. The series is packed with action, suspense, drama and dystopian adventure.

Book 1:

Book 2:

Purchase The Outside Series:

Outside (Book 1) | The Clearing (Book 2)

About The Author

Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before children, she was signed to Universal Music as a singer songwriter. Now, writing novels has hijacked her life and she is usually to be found with a laptop welded to her fingers and the house in a permanent state of neglect.

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Why I Write YA Fiction

Shalini Boland

I’m just a big kid.
I write in the Young Adult genre mainly because I identify most with that age group. I’ve never really felt like a proper grownup. (Except when I’m arguing on the phone with British Telecom).

Brave or stupid?
It’s a biological fact that teens’ brains are wired differently to adults’ brains. Which is probably why adults and teens clash so much. Teens don’t necessarily make the same informed choices that adults do. They might just do things as opposed to, erm, thinking things through. I’ve had readers say, ‘Why did such and such a character do that? It was just dumb.’ But another reader might class the same action as extreme bravery.

That’s the beauty of writing YA fiction; you have these amazing vibrant characters who just do stuff of their own accord. Sometimes, I swear they take over my laptop and write themselves.


Ahh, teen angst, I love it. It’s deliciously self-indulgent, but absolutely justified. All that sexual tension and hormonal activity racing around teen bodies is a recipe for deep introspection/rage/misery/burning love. Those moments when they gnaw the skin off their knuckles and stare at the ceiling, fuelling their angst with music and dark literature.

Coming-of-age
Forging their way in the world. Making mistakes and finding their place when everyone else seems to know theirs. I especially like dumping my teens into scary settings without parents. Making them grow up quickly. Throwing them into tricky situations where they have to lose their childish ways and come through for someone else.

I don’t write FOR young adults. I write for myself, for the memory of the teen I used to be, if that makes sense. I imagine being back at that age and how it truly felt to be neither child nor adult, but something in between. In your own exclusive world that no one else really understands. When I write, I pull out all those feelings I once had and keep them close to the surface – that first kiss, the insecurity, the excitement of new experiences. It’s all there inside us, if we care to remember. I think that’s why adults enjoy reading literature about teens – it takes us back to that time and place; like the smell of cheap aftershave or an illicit cigarette.

Lessons Learned by Jillian Neal Author Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm featuring a book called Lessons Learned. Lessons Learned is a New Adult/Urban Fantasy book written by Jillian Neal. Jillian is also hosting a giveaway, which can be found at the bottom of this post.

Lessons Learned by Jillian Neal
Series: The Gifted Realm #2
Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 30, 2013

One, breathtakingly hot, passion-filled, night ignites a fire in his soul. Everything in his world should be nothing short of perfection…but he is Rainer Lawson.

His wild evening with Emily is the Realm’s front-page story. Could he have lost the respect of the man that has been like a father to him? Could his family’s hard-earned fortune really dissolve before his very eyes?

Evil rapidly cinches its chokehold, and everything his father fought and died for threatens to implode. Rainer attempts to protect those that he loves and satisfy the fiery passions between he and Emily, but everything in his world is spinning wildly out of control. His desire to prove himself could very well be his undoing.

Sometimes the best of intentions are not enough, but perhaps it is the trials by fire that make the man. Steel sharpens steel, and the passions burn white hot in “Lessons Learned.”

About The Author

Jillian Neal is a New Adult author with a passion for passion. She tells strong character driven novels told from the male perspective. Her guys aren’t afraid to let us inside their minds or inside their bedrooms. Young love comes to life inside the author’s Realm along with sinister crime fighting, mixed in with a hearty dose of family. The engaging adventures will stretch your mind and keep you coming back for more.

Jillian lives outside of Atlanta with her husband, and children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Purchase Within The Realm 

(The Gifted Realm #1)

Amazon

Purchase Lessons Learned

(The Gifted Realm #2)

Amazon

Interview with Marilyn Brant

Q:You write about some seriously “swoon worthy” guys, and on your blog you often discuss how much you adore your husband. So, how did you two meet? 

A: My DH and I met on a ski trip with the church youth group in high school. We were sitting in the common room of the chalet, surrounded by other people, and we started talking. He was a senior and I was a freshman so I kept telling myself that he was too old for me, but I just always wanted to talk to him. He called me a few nights after we came home and then every night for the next three years. He left for college and we stayed together. I lived for eight o’clock every night when he would call, and I could just talk to him. I honestly think that God sort of stepped in on my behalf and said, “Here you go Jillian. This is the one for you.” We married two months after I graduated from high school. (I can hear you gasping!)  I’ve never looked back, and I never want to. I never want to go one single day without talking to him!!

Q: Before you and your husband married, would you say you were like Rainer and Emily?

A: Hmm, let me think. No, not really. Emily has infinitely more spunk than I had at her age. I would say we were and are as committed to one another as Rainer and Emily, but they are not us. 

Q: Which of your characters do you think is this most misunderstood and why?

A: Oh, that would have to be Dan Vindico. He’s so intense and driven, and he rubs a lot of people the wrong way. There is a method to his madness and when we get to his story hold on tight it is hot, hot, hot and then brutal all at the very same moment.

Q: A number of characters in your books have tattoos. Do you have any, and if so what/where? If not, would you ever consider getting one?

A: I do not currently have any tattoos. I would love to get one (or more) but honestly I’m scared of the pain. I’m a wimp. I know. I have said that maybe, possibly if I sell ten thousand books that I would get a “Alis volat propriis” tattoo done with either a dove or a butterfly. It means “she flies with wings all her own.” I love that! I would also like DH’s initials done somewhere, not sure where. Have to think about that. 

Excerpt:

“Logan please stop here. Just for a minute, please!”

Logan nodded he studied Rainer speculatively, but without question he pulled into one of the parallel spots on the back side of the cemetery.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Logan offered.

Rainer knew that whatever he wanted is what Logan would do. Even if they never went to Coriolis and were fired for it, he would be there for Rainer. Certain that he’d never deserve a friend like Logan Haydenshire, Rainer wanted to be alone. He tried to give Logan a reassuring smile but wasn’t able.

“I’ll just be a minute.”

“Take as long as you need, man.” With that, Rainer threw open the door and took off in a heated sprint towards the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He rushed over the hallowed ground. Rainer ran faster not certain his feet were hitting the ground as he moved behind the largest of the monuments and headed west.

He hated that he knew how to find the spot so readily. He halted and walked as a funeral was taking place and respect was clearly something Rainer needed to work on. He felt his throat close and tears threatened to burn his eyes. He nodded his head as he passed Cal Haydenshire’s cross grave marker. Keeping his head bowed he moved to the monument at the end of one of the endless rows and fell to the ground. He summoned instantly. He watched as his father’s name and birth and death dates appeared in the marble. His parents had been buried in Arlington because of the sheer number of Non-Gifted lives they’d saved in their quest to make certain that the Gifted didn’t abuse the Non-Gifted with their powers.

Rainer moved slightly and turned his cupped hand outward. He watched his mother’s name appear. He sat there staring at the letters and numbers, lost for several minutes. He wasn’t certain why he’d needed to come so badly, not certain what to say, or how this was going to fix anything at all. He just sat staring at the marble headstone. The granite representation of all he’d lost and all he’d given up, of what had made him who he was, the devastation that had defined him.

He knew his father would’ve been just as disappointed and horrified at what he’d done to Emily, as Governor Haydenshire. Rainer felt sick.

“I’m sorry,” he blinked back tears. “I just don’t know how I screwed up so badly. I just…” Rainer wiped away the hot tears that flowed down his face. “I’ll never be as good as you.” He shouted the thought that had haunted him since he’d watched his father’s casket lowered into the ground at fourteen years old. He pled to the pitiless granite and the merciless air around him.

“I don’t think that’s true, man.” Rainer spun around. He gasped as his heart flew. Logan, worried about Rainer, had followed him. “And I don’t think he expected you to be perfect, Rainer.” Logan sank to the ground beside Rainer. “I mean, at least Em’s not going to end up in jail because of a belly shot.”

Logan turned back to the monument and bowed his head.

“S’up, Governor Lawson?” He offered. Rainer felt a smile form on his face. “He’s a good guy, sir. Try not to be too hard on him. He was only doing what Emily asked him to, and you were married, you know women will always get you into trouble.” He vowed to the ether.

 Rainer found it very odd to be sitting in front of his parents’ graves, with all that had happened, laughing. After another few minutes, Logan stood and offered Rainer his hand.

“Come on. Let’s try and clean up the mess we’ve made.” Rainer accepted Logan’s help up.

“Bye, Dad.” He choked and let his hands run along the cold granite. “I will fix this. I swear to you.” He turned to follow Logan back to the car with renewed fire burning inside of him. 

Giveaway:

Grand Prize provided by author

Prizes (open internationally):

• $25 Amazon gift card
• $25 Victoria Secret gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf Character Profiles + Giveaway

I'm super excited to show you guys this book. Unbreathable was written the wonderful Hafsah Laziaf from Icey Books. The cover of the book is breath taking and I for one cannot wait to read it. Also, there is a giveaway that you can find at the bottom of the post.

Title: Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf
Series: Unbreathable #1
Publisher: Self
Release date: October 29, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy

One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often.

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process.

The race for Earth has begun.

Unbreathable is a tale of love, redemption, and sacrifice, and one girl's struggle to find her place in a world where she doesn't belong.

About The Author

Hafsah Laziaf was born on the east coast on a hot summer day in 1993, raised on the west coast and is now stuck in the middle – in Texas – with more books than she can read. She’s the designer behind IceyDesigns and the blogger behind IceyBooks.

UNBREATHABLE is her debut novel.


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Purchase Unbreathable

Amazon | Kobo Books | iBooks

Add it to your to-read list

Goodreads

Name: Lissa
Age: 17
Height: 5’ 6”
Lung Type: Can breathe oxygen and Jutaire’s air without consequence
Inspired by: The girls who feel insubstantial but are not
Likes: Reading, learning new things, Earth, the stars, the color blue, Julian
Dislikes: Chancellor Kole, too much noise, attention

When Unbreathable begins, Lissa feels like she is nothing. She suddenly discovers she isn’t human, her father—the only person she knew—dies, taking with him her only chance at answers. As the story moves on, she’s more important - needed for something other than who she is. But this hardship helps her find out exactly who she is, and that she’s never alone, no matter how it seems.

Name: Julian
Age: 20
Height: 5’ 11”
Lung Type: Can breathe Jutaire’s air without consequence - too much oxygen deems dangerous
Inspired by: Perfection?
Likes: Drawing, Earth, his mother, the color blue, Lissa
Dislikes: Power, Queen Rhea, Rowan, Gage

Since the death of his mother, all Julian has wanted is to join her. His grief from all that he has lost has led him to hurt himself. He’s broken in ways he doesn’t think can be fixed, and sees the world through a single lens, until it’s shattered by a few words Lissa says before thinking. He’s soft-hearted, cares for everyone but himself, and in the end, it nearly costs him his life.

Name: Slate
Age: 34
Height: 5’ 10”
Lung Type: Can only breathe oxygen - full human
Inspired by: The opposite of what soldiers are perceived to be on Jutaire
Likes: Earth, peace, fighting, fresh food
Dislikes: Gage, Chancellor Willem, being a tool

Slate’s life is dedicated to serving the humans of Jutaire. As a soldier, he has pledged to do whatever it takes to keep the humans safe, until the ties of his blood pushes him to murder his own brother, striking an irreversible avalanche. When he discovers he was used by the woman he once loved, he doesn’t break down, because it gave him something better, but he is still grieved by the life he never got to live with a certain person.

Name: Rowan
Age: 20
Height: 6’
Lung Type: Can only breathe the toxic air of Jutaire - full Jute
Inspired by: The Darkling (Shadow & Bone)
Likes: Power, attention, Lissa, Julian - even if he won’t admit it
Dislikes: Humans, Queen Rhea, anyone who stands in his way

Unlike Julian, Rowan’s grief has led him to hurt others and take revenge. The lines between good and evil are nonexistent in his eyes. As Julian’s half-brother, and twin in appearance, Rowan and Julian have identical needs, though their methods of acquiring them aren’t as similar. Rowan’s desire for power and the need to be understood for who he is has blinded him to what is good and inclined him towards evil.

Giveaway

1st place: a signed paperback copy of UNBREATHABLE (US)
2nd place: an e-book of UNBREATHABLE (INT)
3rd place: an UNBREATHABLE swag pack (US)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Road to You by Marilyn Brant Author Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm featuring a book called The Road to You. The Road To You is a New Adult Book written by Marilyn Brant. Marilyn is also hosting giveaway, which you can find at the bottom of this post.

The Road to You by Marilyn Brant
Publisher: Twelfth Night Books
Release Date: October 3, 2013

Sometimes the only road to the truth...is one you’ve never taken.

Until I found Gideon’s journal in the tool shed — locked in the cedar box where I’d once hidden my old diary — I’d been led to believe my brother was dead. But the contents of his journal changed all that.

The Road to Discovery...
Two years ago, Aurora Gray’s world turned upside down when her big brother Gideon and his best friend Jeremy disappeared. Now, during the summer of her 18th birthday, she unexpectedly finds her brother’s journal and sees that it’s been written in again. Recently. By him.

The Road to Danger...
There are secret messages coded within the journal’s pages. Aurora, who’s unusually perceptive and a natural puzzle solver, is hell bent on following where they lead, no matter what the cost. She confides in the only person she feels can help her interpret the clues: Donovan McCafferty, Jeremy’s older brother and a guy she’s always been drawn to — even against her better judgment.

The Road to You...
Reluctantly, Donovan agrees to go with her and, together, they set out on a road trip of discovery and danger, hoping to find their lost brothers and the answers to questions they’ve never dared to ask aloud.

In that expectant space between silence and melody, our trip began...

About The Author

Marilyn Brant is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She wrote the new adult/humorous paranormal novel ACCORDING TO JANE (2009), the women’s fiction relationship drama FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE (2010), and the romantic travel adventure A SUMMER IN EUROPE (2011), all published by Kensington Books. She's also a #1 Kindle and #1 Nook bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty romantic comedies, including ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE (2011) and PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH (2013). Her coming-of-age romantic mystery, THE ROAD TO YOU, will be available in October 2013.

Marilyn is a lifelong music lover and a travel junkie. She’s visited 46 states and over 30 countries (so far—she's not done yet!), but she now lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family. When she isn't rereading Jane Austen's books or enjoying the latest releases by her writer friends, she's working on her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately and hiding from the laundry.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy The Road To You

Amazon | Amazon UK

Interview with Marilyn Brant

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your work and what, exactly, inspired you to write THE ROAD TO YOU?
A: I find inspiration everywhere, really. From conversations I overhear, things my friends tell me, funny/sad/scary stuff that happened in my family, incidents I’ve observed out in public, stories I’ve read in books or seen on TV, as well as those endless “what if?” questions writers always ask themselves. For this new novel specifically, my husband and son and I took a driving trip down Route 66 (some of it on the actual road and most along the Interstates that cut through the areas where it used to be), and I was really intrigued by its history, the little towns that developed as a result and some of the unusual attractions. I found myself thinking, “There’s a mystery somewhere in this journey...and a love story.” Plus, I’ve kept some kind of diary or journal since the middle of 7th grade and, when I was younger, I’d sometimes write in code. I’ve wondered often what it might be like to have to interpret clues that were found in someone else’s... In fact, the first thing I needed to do in drafting this novel was to actually write out all of Gideon’s journal, which turned out to be more complicated than I’d first imagined!

Q: When did you first begin writing? 

A: I wrote songs and poems and little stories in elementary school, but sixth grade was when the notion of writing professionally first occurred to me. Aside from being on the newspaper and yearbook staff in high school, though, I didn’t take writing seriously until I was about 30. Then, I spent the next several years writing completed manuscripts and submitting them to agents and editors before my fifth one finally sold to Kensington Books. That was According to Jane—a romantic coming-of-age novel (for mature audiences, ages 17+!) about a young woman who has the ghost of Jane Austen in her head giving her dating advice. The Road to You is my eighth published novel.

Q: Did you draw your characters from real people in your life? 

A: Some of my characters have a smattering of qualities and personality traits drawn from people I know, but I do a LOT of blending. It’s incredibly important to me to make my characters unique. To do that, I feel I need to give them a range of quirks and some very distinctive behavior/thought/speaking patterns. The real people in my life are certainly interesting, but none of us (myself included) are entirely “fiction-worthy.” And, boy, am I glad! I wouldn’t want to be a real-life character. I wouldn’t want to be oddly specific enough for fiction. And I sure wouldn’t want those closest to me to be riddled with the stresses and insecurities prominently featured in the characters I’ve created. So, while I’ll happily pluck a trait or two from someone I know to add to the character mix I’m making, I have to do much more to any character to make him/her novel-ready than merely copy someone from my everyday life.

Excerpt:

        We emerged into the dazzling sunlight of a hot summer Sunday and got settled in Donovan’s car. He pulled out his road atlas and plopped it into my lap. “You get to

navigate on this one.”

I flipped it open in surprise. Considering his ingrained aversion to asking anyone for directions, this was a sign of great progress.

He started the engine. “If we get lost, it’s on your head, Nancy Drew.”

I glared at him. “Stop calling me that.”

“Nancy, Nancy, Nancy,” he mocked.

Oh, you’re real mature,” I said, but he continued with his mockery. I knew he needed an outlet, a little levity, something—especially after all the grave, life-changing information we’d just gotten. I was beginning to learn his patterns. He would need to munch on something, and he

wouldn’t be able to discuss anything seriously for a couple of hours at least. Good thing we had snacks in the car and a five-hour drive ahead of us.

“Fine. Be that way.” I told him the first few turns, taking us past the big Sears on Irving Park Road and following the signs so we could merge onto Interstate 90/94. Eventually, since I wasn’t afraid to read a map—unlike some people—I knew we’d meet up with 55 South, which would take us all the way to Missouri.

But, as soon as Donovan looked comfortable with the roads, I dug through my purse for the cassette I’d been saving for just such an occasion, and I popped it in. As the opening strains of the Bee Gees’s hit “Stayin’ Alive” came on, I had the satisfaction of seeing Donovan make a disgusted face and reach to turn it off.

I batted his hand away from the cassette deck. “Do you really think disco is a fad?” I said, mimicking Vicky from St. Cloud. Then I started singing along with the song’s chorus. I’d heard the lyrics about, oh, sixty thousand times since the movie came out. I knew every word.

“Uh! God, stop that!” he said, half laughing.

“What’s my name?” I asked him sweetly during an instrumental moment.

He shot me a dirty look. “Just cut it out.”

I sang along with the entire second verse. Loudly.

“Hell, Aurora. Stop.”

“What did you just say my name was?” I asked. Then, more threateningly, “You do realize that ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ is coming up next, right?”

He made a gagging sound that I took as a precursor to his inevitable surrender. I was right.

“Your name is Aurora, but I will strangle you with the long threads of tape that I’m going to yank out of my deck in about ten seconds if you don’t do it first.”

I snapped the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack out of the player.

“If you call me Nancy Drew again, you can expect a full hour of disco hits,” I threatened. “I can sing ‘If I Can’t Have You’ and ‘You Should Be Dancing’ and more. All of them a cappella. And, yeah, that’s a warning. Be scared.”

The look he gave me was nothing short of scathing but, a few minutes later, when I was studying the Illinois map in the middle of the atlas, I caught him glancing at me and smothering a laugh. 

“What?” I said

He grinned. “Who knew you’d grow up to be such a weirdo…Aurora.”

Giveaway:

Grand Prize provided by author
Prizes (open internationally):

• One signed trade paperback copy of According to Jane
• One signed trade paperback copy of On Any Given Sundae
• One A Summer in Europe t-shirt
• One Marilyn Brant canvas tote bag
• One The Road to You luggage tag

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Choosing You by Allie Everhart Promo + Giveaway

Today I'm featuring a book called Choosing You. Choosing You is a New Adult Book written by Allie Everhart. Allie is also hosting giveaway, which you can find at the bottom of this post.

Choosing You by Allie Everhart
Series: The Jade Series #1
Publisher: Waltham Publishing
Release Date: September 21, 2013

When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But her plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a rich prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.

Jade tries to push him away, but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.

As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.

About The Author

Allie Everhart writes about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance writer for magazines and websites. Before freelancing, she was a book editor for a publishing company where she worked on several NYT bestselling nonfiction books. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.



Author links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7244325.Allie_Everhart
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAllie

Buy Choosing You

Excerpt

As soon as I start running, I feel the calmness I was craving. I get lost in the repetition of my movement around the oval track and I lose all sense of time. After a while the sun is really hot and I realize that it’s probably way past noon. I take a break and sit at the side of the track, completely soaked in sweat.

“Have a good run?”

I turn to see Garret walking toward me in navy athletic shorts and a gray t-shirt. It looks like he’s been running, too, although he’s not nearly as sweaty as me.

“It was all right,” I say. “I don’t usually run on a track.”

“You should’ve come with me. I ran a couple miles around campus.”

I shake my head, sweat dripping off me like a wet dog. “That’s not far enough. I usually run 8 or 9 miles.”

He sits down next to me. As in right next to me. Can he not see how sweaty I am? I’m sure he can smell me from 10 feet away. I can’t even stand the smell of myself.

“Eight or 9 miles? You must be a serious runner. I’m a swimmer. I only run to improve my cardio for the pool. I do a couple miles at a normal pace and then I do sprints on the track.”

So that’s why he has that body. He’s a swimmer. That explains the broad shoulders and narrow waist V shape he’s got going on.

“Go ahead.” I point to the empty track. “It’s all yours.”

“Why don’t you do them with me?” he asks in a challenging tone. “Let’s race.”

I never turn down a challenge. Well, sometimes I do, but it’s rare. “I’m a distance runner, not a sprinter. But a distance runner can beat a swimmer any day. This should be easy.” I stand up, stretching my legs which are stiffening up after my short break.

“You think you can beat me, huh?” He stretches as well. “So what’s with the insults? You don’t like swimmers?”

I shrug. “Swimmers are okay. I just don’t think they have to work that hard. I mean, the water makes you basically weightless. It’s easy to go fast when you don’t have to drag your body weight around. You don’t get that benefit with running.”

His jaw basically drops to the ground. I’ve just insulted both him and something that’s near and dear to his heart. Apparently this has never happened to him before. Pretty boy must be used to only getting compliments.

“Are you shitting me? Did you just say swimmers don’t work hard?”

“Yeah, why?” For some reason, I’m really loving insulting this guy.

“Game on, Iowa girl. Get your ass in position.”

He sets himself up in lane one of the track. I take my sweet time walking over to lane two, yawning just for added effect.

“Do you need a head start?” I ask him, stretching my arms behind my back.

“Damn, you’re annoying.” He smiles when he says it. “We do one lap around. Ready? Three, two, one. Go!”

I take off down the lane, my eyes straight ahead pretending he’s not there. I quickly round the first end of the track and hit the straightaway. I imagine myself running far away from that place. Running back home and seeing Frank and Ryan again. I round the next end and keep running.

“Stop! We’re done!” I hear Garret’s voice and slow down, noticing that I’m already halfway through a second time around the track. I finish the loop and meet up with him again. He’s bent over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

“Okay, I admit it. You’re fast,” he says, panting as sweat drips off his face.

“Fast? That was my normal pace.”

He glances up at me, trying to figure out if I’m kidding. Then he stands up straight and wipes the sweat off his forehead. “Remind me never to do that again.” He walks over to the edge of the track and gets his water bottle. “You should sign up for cross country or track. You’re really fast.”

“Nah. I ran cross country in high school. Now I just run when I’m stressed.” It’s true, but I wish I hadn’t said it. It makes me sound weak and I hate sounding weak, especially around a guy.

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